The Monkey King is a prominent figure in Asian folklore – the anthropomorphic monkey whose journey is for self-enlightenment. He travels with a monk and other two disciples to the West to retrieve Buddhist sutras from the realm of Buddha and his disciples. On the latest release, Alpha present them as decks of playing cards. Introducing Monkey King and Journey to the West Playing Cards.
The tuck box for Monkey King is a great piece of craftsmanship and design laden with intricate details. The centre of the front side of the box features an elegant plaque with written Chinese characters that said: “Monkey King”. The box is crafted with a Pop-Up element – when opening the box, it will flap open cross-shaped illustrations, showing the four poses of the Monkey King. Each deck will be numbered with a custom seal on the bottom.
Collaborating with ARK, the cards present beautiful illustrations based on the Monkey King story. The four Aces feature the Monkey King in four different Taoist poses. The court cards present characters from the Monkey King folklore.
The Jokers feature a diptych artwork of the Monkey King’s staff. The back design features illustrations of intricate compositions of scrolls, writings, ornaments, and dragons with the staff in the centre. Also, the cards for the Monkey King will have a gold color scheme with holographic flood foil.
Journey to the West Playing Cards is the next addition to the Monkey King. The Aces for this deck featured the four members of the travelling troop to the West: The Monkey King, the monk, and the two disciples. The back design is modified – featuring add-ons of two-way folding fans showing the silhouettes of the four characters. The plaque on the front of the box is modified to state “Journey to the West”.
Journey to the West Playing Cards has three editions. The Standard Edition is the most standard: featuring a classic premium matte box with colorful artwork and embossing with standard cards. The Black Box Set features two decks with two contrasting color scheme: Black and Silver with HOLO foil.
The tuck boxes for the Black Box Set deck have the same features as the Monkey King box – only this box shows the four main characters. Those two decks will be stored inside a premium crafted box – its double-door box can stand on its own when it is opened. The Deluxe Set features two decks with holographic foil gilding decks stored inside a wooden box complete with an engraved metal card.
The Monkey King deck starts at $23 and the Journey to the West Playing Cards is available at $13 for Standard Edition. It is available now at TCC Playing Card.
