Charles and Ray Eames brought a sense of playfulness to midcentury design, imbuing everyday objects with unexpected joy. Our second edition of Eames Playing Cards embraces this approach with a celebration of their iconic Hang-It-All wall rack. The first thing you’ll notice is the jubilant color palette of the early 1950s. The visual motif is a clear homage to the stick and ball components of the original design. However, in adapting the Hang-It-All to a new form, we made a surprising discovery. When traditional playing card symbols are replaced with numerals, the result is more logical and visually cohesive. So, inspired by the rebellious spirit Ray and Charles were famous for, we decided to ditch the aristocracy entirely and adopt a more minimalist approach. You will not find any Kings or Queens in this deck; the cards are simply numbered 1-13, a subtle but gently revolutionary gesture that we’ve never attempted before. But now, we can’t help wondering why this clarity eluded us for so long. Every time we shuffle the pack and juggle the colorful balls, we’re reminded of the Eames’ enthusiasm to defy the gravity of expectations and embrace a spirit of exploration. Eames Playing Cards come packaged in a letterpress printed box reminiscent of the home that Charles and Ray designed and built in Los Angeles, California. Made in the USA.
54 different face designs based on art by Quentin Blake for the book by Roald Dahl.
Numbered cards and Jokers have white card faces, while court cards and Aces have either blue-green or lime green faces depending upon suit: diamonds and hearts are blue-green, and spades and clubs are lime green. Additionally, the Diamonds (and one Joker) are labeled with golden yellow ink, the Clubs are labeled with clover green ink, the Spades (and the second Joker) are labeled with purple ink, and the Hearts are labeled in red.
Deck fronts and backs are nonreversible.
Manufactured and distributed under license by Aquarius Entertainment Merchandising. Printed in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.