Handmade Memory Game with Vintage Imagery—French Version

The tiles and boxes of these memory games are entirely handmade by the artist and graphic designer Sarah Caplan. Each unique set consists of pairs of tiles housed in a handmade box. Images on the tiles include a curated assortment of illustrations and old photographs she has collected for years—mostly antique ephemera, including animals, people, famous world sites, fruits and vegetables, flowers, modes of transportation, insects, random objects, and vintage scenes from daily life.

Far more than a game, it is a decorative objet of great charm. The individual tiles may be displayed on tabletops or mantelpieces, on dining tables, or wherever a touch of visual whimsy and sophistication is needed. If you are looking for a unique and original gift, seek no further.

This is the version française of the game, with many images with French historical and cultural significance. Some are well-known (a Framboise label, the Arc de Triomphe, passengers boarding an Air France airplane, a château), while others (a radish, a giraffe, a hot air balloon) are not so obvious. Put a fun spin on the game by requiring players to explain the meaning of the image.

The boxes are solidly made of wood with archival book-making materials, and are covered in one-of-a-kind, handmade Italian and French marbled papers. The wooden game tiles have gold or egg tempera and pigment painted edges and are backed with all-over patterned handmade papers. Each box contains approximately thirty-three to thirty-five pairs of tiles.

Because each set is made by hand, you will receive a unique box and set of tiles which will be similar, but not always identical, to the photographs displayed here. Each may have its own individual coloring and style (the handmade marbleized papers will vary, as will the Japanese backing paper used on the tiles, which is available in limited quantities) and the subjects on the tile may change slightly as new images are found by the artist.

The game can be played by children and adults alike and is a great test of memory. Sets may include pairs that look very much alike but differ slightly to test players’ attention skills. Instructions are included.

Sarah Caplan studied Art and Art History at Oberlin College and Parsons School of Design, Paris. She works as an artist and graphic designer in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Dimensions: Each tile: 1 3/4" x 1 3/4"; 66-70 tiles total. Box: 9" x 2 1/2" x 2 1/4"