*SOLD* 1955 LE FLORENTIN EDITIONS PHILIBERT 05988/12,000 P. EMILE BACAT CARDS

Vintage 1955 Editions Philibert Paris Playing Cards, the red set. Artist: PAUL-EMILE BECAT - (French artist & designer Paul Emile Becat reputedly took four years to design and create the memorable images in the deck. The court cards show pictures of the Italian Renaissance featuring illustrations of classic stories with themes ranging from amorous adventures to murder. For many of his illustrations Becat drew upon a set of paintings by Renaissance masters which the monk Savonrola had destroyed in 1496 because they revealed too much of the intrigue and sordidness of Borgia family life. Savonrola was greatly beholden to the Borgias. Detailed descriptions of these paintings had been preserved, however, and it was from them that Becat was able to paint a number of his miniatures. The balance of his pictures he based on other Florentine themes). In 1955 they produced the much sought-after "Le Florentin" deck. These cards were manufactured in a limited edition of 12,000 numbered copies.