The red Parlour is a deck from the Swedish studio Stockholm17 that reinterprets the classic parlour deck. It does not try to grab attention with a groundbreaking design, but to improve on the familiar: a passing glance shows a traditional deck, while a closer look reveals the refinements.

• PublisherStockholm17
• DesignStockholm17 (Sweden)
• PrinterCartamundi; tuck box by Oath Playing Cards
• FinishB9 True Linen on crushed stock
• Colourred back
• Contents52 cards + jokers + gaff card + ad card; arranged in Mnemonica order

Design

The mirrored, classic-style back brings together a spade-shaped monogram, rhinoceros beetles and a damask motif. The faces have an ivory background, which gives them a vintage feel, and bold hand-drawn indices that are easy to read. The court cards keep their familiar look with small improvements, the Ace of Spades is unique to the deck and the jokers star Sir Fox, “proprietor of playing cards”, and Shakespeare the Cat, a street artist.

Manufacturing

It is printed by Cartamundi, the Belgian printer, on crushed stock (crushed, a treatment that compresses the paper so the cards are more flexible) with its own B9 True Linen finish (a linen texture that reduces friction between cards). The tuck box is the work of Oath Playing Cards.