Mankai-no-Sensu - art playing cards (Blossoming Spring)
Mankai-no-Sensu - art playing cards (Blossoming Spring)
Foiled, intricate, hand-drawn tuck box with textured paper
Foiled and embossed, delicate tuck sleeve
Limited edition print run of 250, numbered seal
Unique, hand-drawn, full-bleed art on all pip and court cards
Metallic ink on card faces and backs
Red gilded cards
A deck of hand-drawn art playing cards inspired by the Japanese folding fan (Sensu). Printed by Expert Playing Card Company (EPCC).
Taking over one year to design and illustrate, every card has a unique, full-bleed and detailed illustration. The pip cards contain a tilted floral design representing each season, that grows and blossoms as the pips rise. Around the edges of each pip card is a colourful border, that when aligned and held in a fan, reveals the hidden artwork - making a canvas from the frame. Hold the suits in sequence to display seasonal scenes of Japanese culture. Hold the number cards in sets to reveal characters and animals such as the nine-tailed fox. The court cards fan together so that each piece stands alone but also builds the rest of its courts up into a larger scene.
The Mankai-no-Sensu is the same as the Haru-no-Sensu Spring deck, with three significant changes. There is added red foiling on the sleeve to depict the scattering of cherry blossoms, the metallic ink colour shifted to pinker to depict the cherry petals, and the cards are elegantly red gilded. Only 250 were produced.
Funded on Kickstarter, this project was nominated for various awards for custom pips, innovative design and more, winning Portfolio52 2022 Best Fan, and leading to 52 Plus Joker 2022 Diamond Award Artist of the Year nomination. Through the project, we adopted an endangered Amur Leopard working with the World Wildlife Fund, helped fight against illegal poaching, planted trees, and much more. The 100% paper cards are made from sustainable forest sources and special soy ink was used. Packaging makes use of recycled and recyclable materials as well as bubble wrapping made locally from sugar cane.
What’s more, a portion of all profit is donated to ARK, a charity that helps rescue, care for, foster and rehouse abandoned and displaced animals across Japan.