Art Nouveau playing cards from Italy
from the Armanino factory in Genoa
This is a beautiful example of a pack of cards created in the Art Nouveau style with aces and court cards embellished and sensually intwined with garlands of vines and flowers.
The pack was printed by S.A.I.G.A. Fratelli Armanino of Genoa, Italy in fine chromolithography (SAIGA meaning Societa Anonima Industrie Grafiche co Affini) and the tax stap on the Ace of Hearts indicates that it was produced in 1910. It is dated 12 august 1910 to be precise. The second brown stamp is for 30 cents and was used between 1883 and 1914. Notice that the court cards are outlined with a dark line making them stand out from the background.
The pack has 52 cards plus a joker and came in a leather case for 2 packs.
Below: the joker and reverse of the cards.
References:
Auction catalogue Ketteren Kunst Munchen Nov.1997 , Spielkarten Jugendstil zum Art Deco. No.21
All cards shown are from the collection of Paul Symons ©
By Paul Symons
Member since February 01, 2016
I'm British but I have now lived in the Netherlands for more than 50 years and am still enjoying every minute of it. I started collecting playing cards in the early 1980’s after speaking with my neighbour who was at that time a croupier in a casino. I started with just collecting jokers, but that soon led me to complete packs of cards and eventually to specialising in old and antique playing cards, particularly those of C.L. Wüst of Frankfurt, Germany. I am presently the Dutch representative of the I.P.C.S. and the auctioneer at the IPCS conventions.
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