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Estelares

Published November 26, 2013 Updated August 07, 2022

Naipes Estelares playing cards manufactured by Luis A. Fourvel y Cia., Buenos Aires, early 1950s.

1950 Argentina Fourvel Gutierrez Delmué y Cía Estelares Art & Design

Naipes Estelares

Double set of 'Naipes Estelares' playing cards for Bridge and Canasta manufactured by Luis A. Fourvel y Cía., Buenos Aires, early 1950s. A novel aspect of the design is that the numeral cards 2-10 plus the four Queens have fashionable female portraits whilst the Jacks and Kings are b/w outline drawings only. On this basis only two colours were used for the whole pack. Large suit symbols appear in each top right-hand corner. The smoke from the Joker's cigarette contains an interesting shape and the captions suggest that “life is only smoke”...

'Naipes Estelares' for Bridge and Canasta manufactured by Luis A. Fourvel y Cía., Buenos Aires, early 1950s

Above: cards from double set of 'Naipes Estelares' playing cards manufactured by Luis A. Fourvel y Cía., Buenos Aires, early 1950s. The backs are plain green or brown. The box states that this is the first edition. The manufacturer's distribution agent, Gutierrez Delmué y Cía, is mentioned on the Aces of Hearts and Spades, and the 2 Jokers and extra card.

See also: Fourvel homepageSide CarSide Car Spanish-suitedNaipyntSide Car Genoese style

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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

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