Peter Dunham and Linnea Gits, the designers and artists behind the Chicago design studio, Uusi, started their new playing card project on Kickstarter. One of the most creative, successful and decent companies proposes its fourth duet of decks – Pagan Playing Card Decks (“Dark Brown Deck” and “Light Cream-colored Deck”).

All previous amazing playing card projects (Blue Blood Playing Cards and Blueblood Redux Playing Cards, Bohemia Playing Cards, Royal Optik Playing Cards) have been successfully funded on Kickstarter, printed and delivered to backers. Pagan deck is planned to be printed by USPCC.

With every deck Peter and Linnea create they try to use a new medium so each one has its own distinctive look. For “Pagan” they have returned to one of the oldest mediums in art: oil paint.

“Our inspiration for “Pagan” came from our love of the great forests and lakes of Northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The smell of the woods, their silence and the enormous beauty of the forests and lakes in that region of the US has always inspired us.  When you are deep in the forest the feeling of wilderness is intense and it was that feeling that became the creative starting point for our new deck.” ~ Uusi.

With their desire to add some religious and cultural elements to their inspiration, Peter and Linnea decided to chose the Pagan era as the theme for this deck because it was a time in history when religious belief went hand in hand with people’s everyday interaction with nature. So many customs, festivals and myths in countries around the world aroused from appropriate interaction without full understanding of natural laws.

Uusi chose the pagan regions and customs that covered the fjords and forests of Scandinavia, to the mountainous lands of Central Europe and the misty shores of the British Isles to finally, the vast, endless forests and tundras of Russia for inspiration.

The decks:

• Fifty-two playing custom playing cards and two original jokers;
• Two illustrated Uusi Design ad cards that form a diptych;
• Poker size;
• Printed on Bicycle playing card stock with an Air Cushion (linen) Finish;
• Heavy, premium paper for tuck cases with an embossed design;
• There will be two decks: “Dark Brown Deck” (Limited Edition – 5000 decks) and “Light Cream-colored Deck” (unlimited edition).

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You could pledge here: http://kck.st/1fhFlRs 

[Funded – December 21, 2013]

The Ace of Spades

The Ace of Spades has a young woodland tree that has been felled for use, but continues to live on and epitomizes the phrase: Bowed but unbroken.

The Jack of Spades

Spades – Court Cards

The Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Diamonds

The King of Spades

The King of Clubs

The King of Diamonds

Jokers

Uusi tried to make Jokers for Pagan decks truly “wild”. Enjoy a little but “formidable” spirit of forests 🙂 Now, think twice before you stump any tree.

Diptych Ad Card

Uusi was the first among modern designers to develop a diptych for USPCC playing cards and used it for the first time on their Royal Optik Playing Cards. The company cherishes this tradition and created a diptych ad card for Pagan playing card decks as well.

The diptych image is based on the mythological pagan horse called, “Sleipnir” (“Slippy”). In accordance with Norse legend, Sleipnir is an eight legged horse who is the favourite steed of the Norse god, Odin.

The shimmering gold look of the Pagan tuck cases and card backs was achieved by carefully replicating the look of gold leaf with oil paint.

Pagan Playing Cards: “Light Cream-colored Deck” (unlimited edition).

Pagan Playing Cards: “Dark Brown Deck” (Limited Edition – 5000 decks)

The only differences in the design of these two decks are different backs and tuck cases.

Custom Seals