Nipponia Playing Cards
Nipponia Playing Cards are a Japanese-themed playing cards featuring samurai, kunoichi and oiran. Designed by Kieran Alexander.
Above: Seal from the tuck box flap.
Above: A samurai mask featured on one of the jokers.
Nipponia Playing Cards are a Japanese-themed custom deck of playing cards featuring samurai, kunoichi (female ninja), and oiran (courtesans). Kieran Alexander, a Japanese-based Australian artist, raised funds for the pack through a successful Kickstarter campaign.
The courts have double-ended illustrations with Japanese letters in each corner. The kings are portrayed as samurai, the queens as orian, and the jacks as kunoichi. The back is a shoji, which is a Japanese sliding paper door.
Above: the box.
The aces are designed to look like Japanese house emblems, also known as kamon, while maintaining the traditional shape of the four suits.
There are two jokers, each depicting traditional Japanese samurai masks.
The pack contains 52 cards, plus 2 jokers and a gaff card. Alexander raised AU$ 7,055 (roughly £3,900) from 204 backers.
Above: A samurai mask featured on one of the jokers.
References
By Adam Wintle
Thailand • Member since March 15, 1997
Adam has been involved in developing the site as well as reviewing new decks and conducting research. He is particularly interested in innovation, Kickstarter and East Asian cards. He is a member of the IPCS, 52 Plus Joker, and webmaster of the EPCS.
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