Beaujolais je t’aime …
Pack promoting Beaujolais wine published by Editions du Nuton, France.
Comic, cartoon-style courts with Kings slightly reminiscent of The Flintstones. Strong diagonal division on each court card. The courts are named after types of Beaujolais wine with an appropriate quality for each. The Aces are named after different varieties of grape and depict a bottle, a barrel, etc. All the pip cards have a bunch of grapes (all slightly different) top left/bottom right with the numerals in the remaining corners. Two different Jokers showing a crowned, tipsy character and the legend “SOLEIL DU BEAUJOLAIS”. On all the courts, Aces and Jokers, the words “ZAX” (top right) and “FRED” (bottom left) can be found – is this the name of the artist? Black-and-white back design with “BEAUJOLAIS JE T’AIME …” on a diagonal ribbon with a barrel, grapes, etc., in the background. Indices R, D, V, 1. On thin card.
Note: a "nuton" is a kind of imp or sprite.
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.
Related Articles
Tarot Actuel 1984
Major arcana to cut out, issued with the French magazine Actuel, using photographic images.
Spanish pattern by Eugène Boisse
Spanish pattern published by Eugène Boisse, Bordeaux.
Catalan pattern by B.P Grimaud
Standard Spanish Catalan pattern deck made in Paris by B.P Grimaud.
Question and Answer Games
A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...
Cartes politiques : Jeu d'actualité
Political playing cards published by Grimaud et Chartier, Paris, 1872.
Le Poker Politique
French politicians and various world leaders caricatured by the German artist Bubec.
Modern Jass (Fredy Sigg)
Caricatural updating of traditional Swiss Jass cards by the artist Fredy Sigg.
Swiss playing cards by Iehan Hemau
17th century Swiss-suited playing cards by Iehan Hemau of Épinal.
Leadmill playing cards
Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.
SCOR playing cards
Bizarre and fantastical images by the artist Roland Topor for the SCOR reinsurance company.
Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern
Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern by Guillaume & Jean Grossard (Bordeaux).
Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards
Innovative advertising pack for Simpsons of Piccadilly designed by André François.
Scruffy Mutts
‘Scruffy Mutts’ dog-themed playing cards, United Kingdom, c.1998.
Les Jeux de Pastor
Striking designs by Edouard Pastor focusing on the heads of figures from the medieval period.
Le Jeu des Personnages de l’Antiquité et du Moyen-Age
Edouard Pastor’s designs in black and gold inspired by Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Rouen Pattern - Portrait Rouennais
An attractive XV century French-suited design from Rouen became the standard English & Anglo-America...