Help me identify this card back

March 21, 2022 10:32 AM

A friend posted a photo recently that included a card on the ground. He didn't check to see what it was. This design rang a long-ago bell for me, but I can't remember what game this was – I'm pretty sure it was from a game, and not a regular pack of cards. Do you recognize it?
posted by zadcat to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

the circle in the middle and 5 symbols above and below make me think tarot thoughts, but that runs counter to your memory that it's a game.

I found this stock photo but... that's not much closer to an answer.
posted by adekllny at 11:32 AM on March 21, 2022

Response by poster: Yes! That's them. I'm pretty sure it was not a tarot deck. They were the same size as standard playing cards, not the slightly bigger size that tarot cards tend to be.
posted by zadcat at 11:54 AM on March 21, 2022

I found this stock photo but... that's not much closer to an answer.

Which is similar to this stock photo, but palette swapped.
posted by zamboni at 12:21 PM on March 21, 2022

https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/493394963/vintage-playing-cards-90s-palekh-russian?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details
posted by zamboni at 12:33 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

Is it a magic the gathering card back?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia /en/a/aa/ Magic_the_gathering-card_back.jpg
posted by Jacen at 12:45 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Black Palekh

Black Palekh Playing Cards, printed in Leningrad, in Soviet Union, first in 1937, then reprinted at 1967. Also a post-Soviet era 1997 print exists, nowadays printed by Piatnik in Austria.

posted by zamboni at 12:47 PM on March 21, 2022 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Yes!! A Russian deck, it was given to me by a friend who went there years ago.

Thank you!
posted by zadcat at 1:14 PM on March 21, 2022