Angel “Takasawa” Playing Cards, Keiichi Takasawa Designs, c.1980

Collectibles : Playing Cards Japan : Angel "Takasawa"

 

Gorgeous, sometimes erotic deck of cards made by Angel of Japan c.1980, featuring the designs of Japanese artist Keiichi Takasawa.

At the website of the Omni Gallery, this brief biography of Takasawa appears:

“Keiichi Takasawa was born in Gunma Prefecture in 1914. In 1936 he attended Nihon University and later studied with Tsuguharu Fujita (a strong influence). During the war Keiichi worked as a war reporter. He did many illustrations and covers for women's magazines, music record covers, etc. He did many 'nikushitsu' paintings of 'bijin-ga' and the best of these were often published as woodblock prints. His bijin-ga prints always depicted the same slender-necked beauty (who may have been his wife), often in erotic poses. He usually signed his name using both Japanese kanji and Roman script.”

Takasawa is the author/illustrator of two beautifully illustrated books: Kimono: A Pictorial Story of the Kimono (1948), and Women of Japan (1955).

The deck has 52 cards, plus 2 Jokers, plus an insert card that is in Japanese, but that I believe is a brief biography of Takasawa. All 54 cards have original Takasawa designs, and it is possible that the designs are from one or both of his books. The cards are wide, measuring 88mm x 63mm and come in the original hard plastic box.

The cards are in mint condition. They were removed from their wrapper to be inspected and photographed for this listing. The hard plastic box is “as new.”

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Item ID: T00001442