Aether Playing Cards USPCC
Aether Playing Cards
In Greek Mythology, aether was believed to be the pure essence that the gods breathed, which filled up the entire space in which they resided. Ancient Greek revered this concept so much, that they likened aether to a deity, embodying the pure sky and fresh air. Disproved by many scientists over the ages, aether bears an element of mystery, which inspired our new poker deck. Come and get lost in the starry aether with us.
The satisfying black tuck case looks like a piece of living dark matter, floating in outer space. The feeling of a slight movement is accentuated by details hot stamped with holographic foil, reflecting lights spectacularly. Printed on Premium Soft-Touch paper material, the tuck case holds its durability and serves its purpose of carrying the starry aether.
Other than the flickering stars, the rest of the box is designed rather simply with a twist, with a holographic name of the deck at the top and an holographic crescent moon at back, completed by an artwork printed using UV printing. UV Printing is a unique form of digital printing that uses ultra-violet light to instantly cure or dry the ink. Which gives extra depth and dimensions to the design of the deck.
In opposition to the sombre outside, the inside of the box is fully covered in holographic foil, creating the effect of endless reflective space.
Once we enter the infinite space of the starry tuck case, the backs of the cards surprises us with their layers of depth and dimensions.
It is achieved by the effect of layered black and white paper cut-outs arranged in a circular pattern. The eye is drawn to the centre of the card by a hypnotic-looking circle, around which two large crescents are oscillating.
The bone-white moons hide a dark secret. If you look closely at the pale overlapping layers, you will discover the shapes of skulls with their mouths agape, as if howling at the pale moon in the middle of the night.
The motive of the skulls is repeated in each corner of the card, emerging out of the classic white borders.
If you enjoyed the elaborate details of the backs of the cards, the court cards will be a real treat to your eye. The monochrome paper cut-outs are enhanced by red in the heart and diamond suits and create a unique 3D experience.
The motives resembling intricate lace patterns all take different types of human and animal skulls as centrepieces. They are complemented by swords, daggers, fans, snakes, and many more symbolic details. On their heads, they proudly carry crowns which mimic the silhouettes of their respective castles. While the surrealist skulls are in the centre of attention, the designer brought in a human aspect by subtle outlines of a face.
All of the court cards are marked by the omnipresence of the moon, and flickering stars, and other heavenly bodies, that fill the space of the mysterious aether.
The number cards provide a small break from the endless swirling details of the rest of the deck. Each of the suit signs is adorned with small white circles, creating an imaginary hole in the pattern.
They also seem to be offset from the white background by a very subtle shade surrounding the signs. The numbers are printed in a font which matches the rest of the deck well, creating a well-rounded design, which is very easy on the eye.
The Ace of Spades has a detailed, yet very simple design of a spade with clean outlines in the centre of the plain white cards. The spade itself appears mostly black, but in fact, it has a subtle effect of being made up of layers, achieved by superimposing different shades of black.
In the two rounded sections of the spade, the circles create two eye-like shapes, resembling camera lens, silently gazing into space. In the middle of them, is a white diamond, which, unlike the rest of the shapes with rigid edges, seems to be dripping the white colour down to the stem of the spade.
The Jokers are the true centrepieces of the whole deck. They encapsulate the mysteriousness of aether and bring the most important elements of the deck together. One of designs is centred around a large red eye, staring right out of a pale white skull. The image is outlined by an ominous black crescent, dripping in red-blood.
The second Joker’s black and white colour scheme acts in opposition to the fiery red of the first one. The design is, once again, centred around a black eye, out of which the motives of a crown, two snakes and two skulls extend to the sides. The pattern is dominated by a large black sphere, which seems to have trapped the very essence of the universe.
This new deck will not disappoint even the pickiest customers. With a simple outside design and the blast of layers of details on the inside, these playing cards masterfully epitomize the dark, mysterious and elusive aether.
2020 Release
