[Centurians]
 
Centurians: Bondage Cards (Vintage playing cards)
 
Westminster, CA: Centurians, 1970s. Vintage playing cards in original plastic clamshell box, featuring line illustrations depicting bondage themes, presented as a fun party game with instructions like "if a loser draws a joker he makes out!" and "the card will show what happens to losers." Several artists are represented, including Roman, We Bex, and Bishop (presumed). Ad card present, with Centurian magazine titles "Fantasia" and "Mediaeval."  
 
"Centurians" was a 1970s magazine that featured similar Kinbaku (or "Shibari" = tied up tight) style photography and illustrations, with a lean toward role-playing and bondage and torture themes, dungeons, leather, whips, and other fantasy elements, and also published titles featuring transgender models. Early issues featured prolific artists like Eric Stanton, and by its end was more of a leather catalog than it's contemporaries. The present deck, with it's plain duo-chrome red-and-black illustrations, briefly recalls the underground erotic 8-pagers known as "tijuana bibles," and would still be a fun way to pass the time on a train. 
 
2.5 x 3.5 inches, box slightly larger. 56 cards, complete. Cards and box moderately toned, one or two tiny creases, else Near Fine. For mature, consenting audiences.