Historic playing cards revived in highly anticipated deck

Based on 16th century originals, the deck has been in creation for close to a year. Creator Rick Davidson's crowd funding campaign is now under way with the goal of funding two very special decks.

(PRWEB) January 21, 2014 -- Over the past year and many hours of work, a project has been underway to research and re-imagine the art of 15th and 16th century playing cards to create a modern deck, the Origins.

The project has captured the imagination of card collectors around the world.

With help from card experts and historians, New Zealander Rick Davidson has attained the rare art of museums and archives, and created a new modern version of the originals. The historic cards from the region of Rouen, France were copied in Britain and spread around the world, evolving to become the art in today’s standard deck.

With a love for historic art, the Origins were initially a purely personal project for Rick. Until he submitted his early designs to Dribbble, a site for designers to share and critique their work. The positive feedback by card enthusiasts who noticed his work began a journey of research and design. And the chance of seeing a dream realised - reinventing the historic art and creating a high quality deck through the United States Playing Card Company.

"I’ve worked incredibly hard to create something special and hope that I’ve shown respect to the exquisite art that became the world of cards we know today."

A Kickstarter campaign is under way in the hope of funding the costly project. The cards will be printed by the prestigious United States Playing Card Company, itself a company with a 147 year history. Alongside the First Edition deck on offer is a Limited Edition version, the Origins Grail, and a collectible Art Book detailing the history of playing cards.

"The last year has been an amazing journey as I've tracked down this beautiful historic art and worked to create a deck all card lovers can appreciate. To produce a deck like this is expensive, but I've been overwhelmed by the support of enthusiasts around the world."

The Origins campaign is currently active on Kickstarter, closing on February 22nd. If funded, the decks will be available in May 2014. You can see more of the project at www.originscards.com

ENDS

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