Miniature French fashion playing cards
Tiny 19th.century ‘Cartes Mignonnes’ playing cards depicting the fashions of the period
There have been several packs of cards produced in France in the mid 1800's depicting people in costumes and fashionable clothing of the period. However, this pack is an exquisite miniature version printed in chromolithography probably by Pierrat Imp. of Paris and designed by Ange Louis Janet Lange. There are copies of a standard size version of this pack in the Cary collection (France 388) and Fournier collection (France 216).
The kings are all elegant gentlemen while the jacks are younger men in service, all holding top hats. Even one of the fashionable queens is wearing a top hat. The back is beautifully decorated with a large flower. The cards a very tiny and are just 34 x 22 mm. in size. The pack has 32 cards and comes in a small white cardboard holder with the text 'Cartes Mignonnes' embossed on the front and 'Cartes Jouet' on the reverse.
Below: the cardboard holder for the playing cards
References: Fournier (France 216), Cary Collection (France 388)
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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