Playing cards - 2 mazzi italiani in miniatura per bambini – Marca Aeroplano – Custodie originali - Paper

Two complete decks of Italian playing cards for children, each preserved with its original box. A small and fascinating example of early 20th-century Italian toy production, particularly pleasing for its miniaturized format, the liveliness of the illustrations, and the packaging graphics.

The first deck, “Cartine da Giuoco per Bambini – Marca Aeroplano”, comprises 40 cards in the four suits of the Italian tradition — cups, coins, swords, and batons — with King, Knight, and Jack. The original box is very characteristic, dominated by the image of an airplane within a lively geometric diamond-shaped composition, typical of the era’s graphic taste. The backs feature a red geometric pattern. The cards measure about 4 × 3.5 cm.

The second deck, “Cartine da Giuoco – Marca di Fabbrica”, is also complete with its 40 cards and retains the original decorated cardboard box. The figures, immediately recognizable for their bold lines and vivid colors, preserve all the character of popular printing intended for children's play; the backs are decorated with a tiny pattern of gray stars. The cards measure about 5 × 3.5 cm.

Particularly appreciable is the presence of the two original boxes, which completes and makes the set much more interesting than the cards alone. The different format and the distinct graphic layout of the two decks also allow them to be juxtaposed as two interpretations of the same kind of game.

The specimens show normal signs of age and use, with some browning, stains, creases, and marginal wear varying from card to card. The boxes show signs of use, abrasions, creases, and edge and flap wear, consistent with their nature as cardboard packaging intended for children's use. Despite the age and fragility of the format, both decks are complete with the 40 cards and their respective original boxes.

A collection with a strong sense of the era, in which graphic design, popular illustration, and the history of games come together in two small objects born for children and today especially interesting for a collection of playing cards, vintage games, and Italian ephemera from the 20th century.