Antique playing cards with Parisian fashion – Migeon, c. 1850-1855
€1.650
ANTIQUE FRENCH PLAYING CARDS FEATURING MID-19TH-CENTURY PARISIAN FASHION
“Cartes Parisiennes“, a complete set of 52 French playing cards featuring contemporary fashion, steel engravings published by Migeon in Paris, c. 1850–1855. Original hand colouring. Dimensions: each card 8.3 × 5.4 cm; framed 70 × 66 cm.
This decorative nineteenth-century deck of playing cards illustrates elegant Parisian fashion from the era of Napoleon III . The traditional, highly stylised kings, queens and jacks have been replaced by fashionably dressed ladies and gentlemen, depicted full-length with remarkable attention to clothing, accessories and surroundings. The result is not merely a deck of playing cards, but also a collection of miniature fashion prints offering a colourful glimpse of French life during the Second French Empire .
The four kings are elegant gentlemen dressed in the latest fashions. Their attire ranges from formal coats and checked trousers to more informal clothing suitable for outdoor pursuits. The King of Spades poses against the backdrop of a harbour filled with sailing ships, while the King of Clubs, wearing a fitted blue jacket, light-coloured breeches and high boots, represents the fashion of a well-to-do country gentleman.
The queens illustrate four variations of mid-nineteenth-century women’s fashion. Their elaborately decorated gowns with voluminous skirts reflect the period when the crinoline was becoming increasingly fashionable. The ladies wear fitted bodices and have their hair carefully arranged and adorned with delicate lace caps, flowers and ribbons. Fashionable accessories, including fans and parasols, complete their outfits. The Queen of Clubs wears a dark jacket with a golden-brown skirt, an ensemble reminiscent of contemporary riding attire.
The jacks depict various male figures, including servants and men engaged in outdoor pursuits. They include a coachman wearing a top hat and carrying a riding whip, a valet in colourful livery, a huntsman with a hunting horn and hound, and what appears to be a gamekeeper.
The aces are equally decorative, with each suit symbol enclosed in an elaborate engraved ornamental design, different for each suit. The remaining numeral cards feature the traditional French suit symbols.
Together, these finely engraved and delicately hand-coloured playing cards provide a delightful record of Parisian fashion during the mid-nineteenth century. Beautifully framed, the set is an attractive collector’s item for enthusiasts of antique playing cards and historical fashion, as well as an unusual gift for bridge players and other card-game enthusiasts.
Price: Euro 1.650,- (incl. frame)
