Playing Cards at The Winter Show

For the Winter Show 2025, Fine Books Magazine have highlighted our collection of playing-cards from The Jean Verame Collection – the largest held in private hands.

Verame is a French visual artist, and the author of three books on playing cards and games, Les merveilleuses cartes à jouer du XIXè siècle (1989), Sublimes cartes à jouer (2007), and Les Très beaux objets du jeu (2014).

The offering spans seven centuries and five continents, including rare examples of cards made from silk and silver, Apache cards on rawhide, and engraved, hand-coloured cards depicting mythological and historical characters, fables, wedding games, and fortune telling. The collection will be offered for sale en bloc for a seven figure sum.