Arab Playing Cards No. 2141 – 2 Sealed Decks – Franz Küngraber – c.1978

Striking vintage Piatnik No. 2141 “Arab” double-deck playing card set, designed by Austrian artist Franz Küngraber and dating from circa 1978. The set contains two complete packs of 55 cards, each comprising 52 playing cards plus 3 Jokers.

The richly illustrated court cards represent four cultural groups, one assigned to each suit: Bedouins – Hearts, Turks – Spades, Berbers – Diamonds, and Tuareg – Clubs. Kings, Queens and Jacks appear in elaborate traditional-inspired costumes, while the cards feature both Western indices and Arabic script. The two decks have different ornate, carpet-inspired backs in red/blue and cream/red colorways.

🔹 Manufacturer: Piatnik, Vienna, Austria
🔹 Reference: No. 2141
🔹 Designer: Franz Küngraber
🔹 Date: circa 1978
🔹 Contents: 2 × 55 cards (110 cards total)
🔹 Each deck: 52 cards + 3 Jokers
🔹 Included: Original presentation box and explanatory booklet
🔹 Condition: The two decks are new and still sealed with their original bands. The outer box shows light age and storage wear, particularly around the edges and corners.

📜 Collector’s Note

This distinctive late-1970s Piatnik issue is particularly appealing for its fully illustrated court cards and elaborate ornamental backs. Although marketed under the period title “Arab,” its imagery actually draws upon several different peoples of North Africa and the Middle East, including Bedouin, Berber/Amazigh, Tuareg and Turkish figures. The combination of Franz Küngraber’s colorful artwork, the two contrasting back designs and the survival of both decks unused and sealed makes this an attractive example of Piatnik’s themed playing-card production of the period.