Fournier - Cartes Extrafines

9/04/2026

Fournier - Cartes Extrafines

INTRODUCTION & IDENTIFICATION DETAILS

Every now and then, an item comes into my hands that leaves me just as pleasantly surprised as it does perplexed—and that is exactly the case with the one we are looking at today. A pack by Heraclio Fournier with with almost no archival trace other than the manufacturer's mark.

It came cellophane-wrapped without a tuck box, with only two inscriptions: "H. FOURNIER - VITORIA · MADE IN SPAIN" on the 5 of Swords, and "CARTES EXTRAFINES" on the 4 of Cups, which I have chosen as the title for both this post and the corresponding Archive entry.

Following a fairly thorough search through the Fournier Museum catalogues (both print and digital editions) and the usual databases such as WOPC and WWPCM, the only reference I managed to track down was in The Coral Collection. They list a pack from around 1975, noting it was issued in a paper wrapper bearing the inscription "La Chasse".

I haven't been able to establish the manufacturing date of our copy, as it lacks a tax stamp and carries no other printed markings to pin down a timeframe.

ICONOGRAPHY & DESIGN

The mystery doesn't end with its origins; it extends to the artwork itself, which raises questions of its own.

This is a Spanish-suited deck showcasing the Spanish National pattern. What immediately catches the eye is the color palette, limited to red, yellow, and blue, which instantly brings to mind the Moroccan variant we covered in depth in previous posts. In fact, I originally planned to feature this as the next appendix in that series. A closer look, however, reveals that it isn't a line-for-line match with the original Camoin designs seen in productions by Ducale, Grimaud, and other makers.

Starting with the pip cards (2 through 7), Coins and Batons are almost identical. In the other two suits, however, subtle differences begin to emerge. Swords appear sleeker and more elongated, while Cups are particularly intriguing: although not inherently more detailed, a side-by-side comparison shows that Fournier favored a more delicate linework. This stylistic choice carries over to the decorative elements throughout the pack.

The aces follow the same trend, though here the differences are easier to spot. Both the Ace of Swords and Batons are more stylized and slender in Fournier's version. Meanwhile, Coins and Cups feature rather richer ornamentation—most obvious on the latter, which abandons the classic "onion" shape typical of the Moroccan pattern in favor of a rendering closer to a real chalice.

Lastly, it's in the court cards where Fournier breaks away most plainly. While respecting the conventions of the Spanish National pattern, this version presents facial features, garments, and even poses that diverge from Camoin’s compositions. Most striking of all is the Knave of Coins, which faces in opposite directions in each model.

Also notable are the sharper, more angular faces, reminiscent of Félix Solesio's productions at the Real Fábrica de Naipes, one of the key historical milestones of the Spanish National pattern.

All that said, the French inscription "CARTES EXTRAFINES" leads one to think this deck was conceived for export to a French-speaking market. North Africa would be a likely destination, given the adoption of Spanish-suited cards in the region, so we might even consider this a Moroccan-style variant within the Spanish National pattern. This could also explain, at least in part, the striking lack of available information.

MATERIALS & FINISH

As with other Fournier productions, the quality is excellent. The cards feature a matte varnish that lends an elegant, understated touch to the set, complementing the artwork nicely. The finish is very similar to what we see in other decks by the manufacturer, such as Los Dos Tigres and No. 35. It is precisely this matte finish that makes this my favorite among all the Moroccan decks we have examined so far.

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UPDATE

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our reader jhindenberg, who, in addition to providing the pictures shown below, has kindly shared his insights, which are, as ever, immensely helpful and greatly appreciated.

The first picture shows the wrapper bearing the inscription "La Chasse" (The Hunt) mentioned earlier. It features an illustration of lions stalking a group of zebras. Although this might be a thematic coincidence, the savanna imagery calls to mind the African continent, which to some extent seems to support our hypothesis regarding an export market aimed at North Africa.

However, one detail is particularly striking: along the bottom margin we find a label with Hebrew text where what appears to be the name of an importing company in Israel can be partially made out, indicating that this copy was sold there.

All the same, the fact that this copy ended up in this country does not invalidate our initial hypothesis. Both options are not mutually exclusive, and considering the historical context of the Spanish National pattern and the deep-rooted presence of the Moroccan style in the region, I still maintain that Morocco and Algeria were likely the primary target markets for this model, without ruling out that Fournier placed print runs in other locations as well.

To top it all off, the second picture shows the 5 of Swords with the 1964–1979 tax stamp corresponding to the Spanish domestic market, a rather puzzling detail at first glance.

Nevertheless, after reviewing the literature, I have found records of the export tax stamp only up to 1978, whereas the domestic market stamp remained in effect until 1979. This time discrepancy opens up the possibility that the deck was exported precisely within that narrow window (1978–1979), using the available stamp. That said, this remains a fairly speculative claim and should be taken with due caution.