Kazakh Tales
Bold designs by K.K. Karpun and S. Nukenov inspired by Kazakh folk tales.
Kazakhstan only became fully independent in 1991 so this may have been one of the first packs produced post-independence. The bold designs by K.K. Karpun and S. Nukenov were inspired by Kazakh folk tales. The portraits on the court cards have a certain cinematographic quality about them but they are not identified. The aces are decorated with weapons, shields, headgear, etc. The indices are in English (as is the text on the box) so the pack was probably intended for the tourist market. Apart from the designers, various artists’ and directors’ names also appear on the back of the box. The cards were made for the Inkar Gallery (or “Galery”), whose name appears both on the box and as part of the back design • see the box
Above: Kazakh Tales playing cards printed by the Colour Printing Plant, Saint Petersburg, Russia, for the Inkar Gallery, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 1993. 36 cards in tuck box. Size: 58 x 90 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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