Ashik Playing Cards by MAINTEREST

MAINTEREST’s Ashik Playing Cards brings the story of Ashik Kerib to life on Kickstarter through a richly decorated deck inspired by Caucasian art, music, and Sergei Parajanov’s visually distinctive adaptation of the tale. The story follows a wandering musician who leaves his love behind for seven years, carrying his saz as he travels in search of fortune.

The design draws heavily on the visual language of the Caucasus, combining geometric patterns, vines, palmettes, pomegranate branches, and recurring saz motifs. The 12 custom court cards portray characters and figures inspired by the story, with subtly different details on each half of the traditionally mirrored designs. Custom ornamental pips, illustrated Aces, and Ashik-themed Jokers extend the narrative throughout the deck.

Four editions are offered, each representing a chapter of the story: Turquoise, Dune, Pomegranate, and the limited Sapphire. All feature 56 fully customized cards with double-sided cold foil, while the foil color and edge treatment vary by edition. The Sapphire edition adds silver holographic gilded edges and 10 randomly arranged gemstones, making every one of its 777 numbered decks unique.

The standout feature is the gem-set tuck boxes, with hand-set gemstones embedded among the decorative patterns. Pomegranate includes eight gemstones and gold cold foil, while Dune and Turquoise each feature seven. The Sapphire edition is the most limited and collectible, available only through the Artist Box Set and limited add-ons.

The Artist Box Set brings all four editions together with foil detailing, four story cards, and a custom metal bookmark visible through a cut-out window. A separate wooden collector’s box also provides a display-focused way to house the complete collection, making Ashik as much a storytelling object as a set of playing cards.

Printed by WJPC on 300gsm German black‑core paper, finished with a linen texture. Pledge starts at $18 on Kickstarter.

On Kickstarter, The Ship of Theseus Playing Cards

The Ship of Theseus Playing Cards by MAINTEREST is a narrative-driven luxury playing card collection inspired by the famous philosophical paradox of identity and transformation. Drawing from maritime mythology, ancient symbolism, and the age of sail, the deck explores a central question: if every part of a ship is replaced over time, does it remain the same vessel?

This concept is woven into every layer of the design, from the artwork to the packaging. The deck follows a fictional crew aboard a symbolic vessel, each member representing different aspects of human experience such as memory, authority, craftsmanship, faith, and survival. 

These characters are divided across suits, with each suit functioning as a thematic chapter in a larger unfolding voyage. The four Aces expand this structure further by anchoring each suit in a core philosophical idea tied to transformation and identity.

Visually, the deck is built around a richly illustrated Age of Sail aesthetic, combining detailed character artwork with compass motifs, celestial navigation symbols, and layered ornamental borders. 

The card backs reinforce the theme of time and change through sun-and-moon cycles, maritime iconography, and symmetrical navigation diagrams that reflect the ongoing tension between continuity and renewal.

A defining feature of the project is its highly engineered packaging system. Instead of a traditional tuck box, many editions feature a pop-up creative storage structure that unfolds into a sculptural display piece. This mechanism reveals layered artwork of the ship and its symbolic journey, physically mirroring the philosophical idea of transformation as the box itself changes form.

Multiple versions exist, ranging from accessible single-deck releases to collector-focused sets that include acrylic display cases, wooden storage boxes, commemorative coins, and a limited purple edition restricted to 300 copies. Pledge starts at $18 on Kickstarter.