Antwan Horfee Unveils Cultural Heritage of Japanese Menko Cards in New Art Book

Summary The second installment delves into vintage Japanese Menko cards, highlighting their cultural significance. Featuring contributions in both English and Japanese by an international group of artists, the limited edition copies are hand-drawn and shipped from the UK. Paris-based artist Antwan Horfee revisits the world of Japanese throwing cards with "Menko Toys," a comprehensive follow-up to his 2019 publication "Menko Boys." This 288-page volume expands Horfee’s anthropological examination of Menko—a vividly illustrated cardboard game piece once popular among Japanese children, now regarded as cultural relics. As writer Peter Lyle described, Menko are "talismanic throwing cards" that mirror the evolving social landscape of 20th-century Japan. Constructed with Swiss binding and printed on Munken white paper, the book offers a tactile and visual experience. It contains English and Japanese texts authored by Horfee, Nick Schonberger, Ataru Sato, Risa Hiratsuka, among others, with design by Jean Granon and photography by Ghislain Mirat. Ten exclusive signed and illustrated copies by Horfee are also available. More than just a collection, "Menko Toys" encourages interpretation, vi...