One card a week for an entire year. That’s how it all started! Artist Emmanuel Jose has created every element of this breathtaking deck entirely by hand. No digital software, or pen and ink. Every design was painstakingly crafted out of paper.
The tuck case design has a minimalist feel to it. It is simple and classy with a touch of elegance. The Curator logo can be seen on the case and Emmanuel Jose’s artistic signature on the bottom. On the back is the monogram of Emmanuel Jose, an ‘E’ and a ‘J’ beautifully styled into the form of a spade. Genius! One thing you will notice about this deck is that, there is no seal. Nice! I am one of those who have trouble breaking the seal.
Inside, each card is individually designed making it a unique gem. Lots of creativity has gone into this and there are many allusions to stories and well known characters and images along the way. Each court card is unique and beautifully design like the other cards. Also the theme is consistent across all card, sticking to the black, white and red colours.
The back design is fairly minimal but tastefully done. It features scissors, hinting at the method used to create this masterwork. As for the handling, it is smooth as butter and that is what one would expect from the Bicycle stock.
This is a must have for any card collector. Everything from the tuck case to each individual card is breathtaking. I just love the simplicity of this deck and going through each card is a delight. This is a limited edition deck (only 3,500 produced) so don’t wait too long.
Pros:
– Unique minimalist deck
– Beautiful artwork on each individual card
– Simplistic design
Cons:
– Back design underwhelming
Overall:
– 5/5
