WONDR Playing Cards is a new deck series by Derek McKee and Ben Zabin of Pure Imagination Projects inspired by the Seven Wonders of the World. Funding on Kickstarter, the project is designed to honor the world and spread intrigue, delight, and astonishment; just as each Wonder has done for centuries.
We are told that the complete collection will eventually consist of seven visually stunning, hand-designed decks each attributed to a different Wonder of the World: The Pyramids (Egypt), The Great Wall (China), Machu Picchu (Peru), Chichen Itza (Mexico), The Colosseum (Italy), Petra (Jordan), and The Taj Mahal (India).
The first deck in the series is The Pyramids. The focus of the card backs are The Great Pyramids with the sun beaming off their sides. In ancient Egypt, the sun was one of the most important symbols, the source of all life, which is why each card exhibits her beauty. In the background are handwritten hieroglyphics along with prominent symbols of ancient Egyptian culture- a scarab beetle (represents rebirth), a snake (represents the afterlife), a cat (represents good luck), and an eye (represents protection and power), among others. The borders are inspired by the mysterious paintings and etchings found along the interior walls of The Great Pyramids.
The Ace of Spades combines handwritten hieroglyphics with the sun beaming down on the Pyramids. The design team has also included a quintessential illustration of the head of a sarcophagus, paying homage to the ancient Egyptian rulers protected in the afterlife by The Great Pyramids. The court cards are standard but recolored to match the color palette of the deck.
With an elegant desert red and sand tan tuck case, the tuck pays perfect tribute to the ancient Egyptian theme. If the project’s stretch goal is met, the tucks will be beautifully foiled and embossed. The Pyramids deck is the debut of the eventual seven decks that will be a part of The WONDR Collection; when all seven decks are aligned together, the spines of the tucks will spell out “WONDR”.
Definitely an alluring, intricate, and eye-catching deck with colors to ensure that each deck in the series will draw admiration and curiosity from all who view it. Printed by The United States Playing Card Company on premium Bee Stock crushed. Available on Kickstarter for $9.
