Introducing the Portrait de Paris Poker Deck

We are excited to announce that our next release will be the Jeu de cartes au portrait de Paris. This deck was published between 1735-1751 by J. Trioullier (Paris). Krisztin restored this deck based on the images found in the National Library of France.

You can view the original deck here:

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84387105

These cards contain the suits which we recognize as clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds. Unlike the modern decks, the number cards lack the familiar index displaying their value.

A feature in the original deck is that each pip on the cards is unique due to it being hand-made. Instead of designing one pip and copying it across all the pips, Krisztin took care to illustrate each individual pip to maintain their unique characteristics.

Around 1780, the Paris pattern gained prominence in France and acquired the name portrait officiel. Notably, these cards held the exclusive privilege of associating the face cards with historical and mythical characters.

Click here to learn more about the cards and their associations.

The names of the figures are displayed on the sides of the court cards, allowing for easy identification. Interestingly, the Jack of Clubs is an exception, bearing the names J. Trioullier and G. Paris. In contemporary decks with similar patterns, this card is often denoted as Lancelot.

During the 1700s, the inclusion of jokers and back designs was not commonplace. In order to make the deck fit contemporary norms, Krisztin created two jokers by combining the suits and the dog from the Jack of Spades. Additionally, she created a back design, drawing inspiration from the ornate patterns adorning the court cards.

This first edition is limited to 1000 decks. To make them extra special, each one is individually numbered on the seals.

This is your chance to go back in time and use the most popular French playing cards of the 18th century. We believe this historic deck will be an excellent addition to your collection.

We will have the Portrait de Paris Poker Deck in stock in a few weeks!

Talk with you soon,

William Rader
Krisztin Kondor