Here's a write-up I did about this project, along with some more images. Looks lovely, especially the flipbook animation and fan on the card backs, and the idea for an unfolding tuck box!
ShanHai Playing Cards by ARK Playing Cards (Kickstarter)
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ca ... rds-by-ark
Current funding level: already funded
Kickstarter ends: Monday, December 25, 2023
ARK Playing Cards is renowned for the luxury playing cards they have produced in the past couple of years. Many of their projects have made it onto the lists of the most-funded decks of playing cards of all time, and it's not hard to see why. They feature innovative designs, lavish artwork, and highly customized tuck boxes.
Their latest project,
ShanHai Playing Cards, is no exception. Like some of their previous decks of custom playing cards, it's inspired by Chinese mythology.
The real standout feature here are the card backs, which turn into a flipbook animation movie when thumbed through at high speed, and which create a gorgeous single expansive image when the entire deck is spread. To show how impressive this looks, here's an animated gif that showcases the flip-book animation and the giant polyptych image produced by a spread:
Added to that is a the special feature of a unique tuck box which unfolds into four panels. Here's an animated gif that gives a sneak peek of how the unfolding panels of the tuck box look:
The ShanHai project is available with four different levels and styles of luxury packaging:
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Standard Deck (limited edition of 2222): single deck (US$30)
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Artist Boxset (limited edition of 999): holographic foil deck & monochromatic deck (US$75)
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Walnut Boxset (limited edition of 333): holographic foil deck with gilded edges, plus a collectible coin (US$185)
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Luxury Black (limited edition of 600): black and white deck, plus an embossed metal plate (US$90+, only available as part of the "All-In" reward)
Extra add-ons like uncut sheets and coins are also available.
This deck is inspired by the
Shan Hai Jing, also known as the
Classic of Mountains and Seas, a classic Chinese book that is more than 2000 years old, and is a compilation of mythic geography and beasts. It depicts over 550 mountains and 300 channels, as well as a variety of monsters.
The tuck case is unusual in that it features an unfolding double layer, and the inner layer consists of four separate compartments, each used to store the cards from a different suit.
When the cards are removed, this unfolds to show four birds on one side, and on the other the Queen Mother, who is a focus in this deck. The scenery depicts a transcendent mountaintop realm, which is her palace. Imagery includes mountains, clouds, mythical creatures and more, all capturing aspects of the legendary tales.
The main image on the card backs here shows the Queen Mother, sitting gracefully with a leopard behind her, and surrounded by bronze mirrors and artifacts.
When you thumb through the cards, the scenery changes and moves in a dynamic pattern. And when you fan the cards into a giant spread, a large panoramic image is produced, which corresponds to the picture on the folding screen from the tuck box.
In keeping with the theme, traditional Chinese ink painting techniques were employed for the card faces, which capture over 100 original large-scale hand-drawn illustrations created just for this deck.
1. Standard Deck
The standard deck comes with all the features that make this project unique, including the flip-back animation and panoramic image of the card backs, and the special tuck case with the four-panel unfolding design.
The Aces on all the decks picture four celestial birds, including the Golden Crow on the Ace of Spades.
Meanwhile the court cards depict different legendary figures and scenes from the Shan Hai Jing classic.
The number cards use a style that matches the ink painting design evident on the rest of the cards.
2. Artist Box set
This includes two decks, the first being a
Holo deck with holographic foil.
As with all the decks from this project, a spread of the card backs produces a single panoramic image.
The card faces feature similar artwork as the standard deck, but colors are added to the background to give a more vibrant look.
The other deck is a
Special deck with a monochromatic design.
The Artist Boxset comes in a gift box that can be pulled apart and changed into a folding album that displays large pictures with the ink painting artwork from the deck itself.
3. Walnut Box set
This deck has the added luxury of gilded edges.
Here's how the tuck box looks when the four panels are unfolded.
The cards feature holographic foil for extra luxury.
This set also comes with a special collector's coin.
The wooden box can be displayed in four different ways, one of which shows the full stretched out tuck case.
4. Luxury Black set
This special deck is only available to collectors opting for the "All In" reward.
It has fully black edges that are individually signed in silver paint.
The cards feature the ink drawings in white set against a jet black background.
An individually numbered embossed metal plate is another special feature of this reward.
Head over to the project page for more images of these extravagant collectors pieces.
Kickstarter link
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ca ... rds-by-ark
