The Lepidopterist, Patina Edition
The Lepidopterist, Patina Edition deck of playing cards is an exclusive version of the Lepidopterist deck from Kowaleski & Co., made in collaboration with Art of Play. This version should be considered a second edition as it was produced separately, and after, the first.
Lepidopterist is the study of butterflies and within this luxurious deck, we invite you to explore the natural beauty of nature combined with architectural details inspired by the elegant Art Nouveau era of the early 1900s.
This exclusive version of the original deck, which was released on Kickstarter, has the same tuck and card design -- but the special touches all come to the extras.
The tuck has an elegant design of a butterfly in a glass jar atop a pedestal, the entire color scheme is, as the name suggests, patina -- or, an aged copper. Two color foil stamping brings out the amazing accents across it to really give it that luxurious appeal. The tuck is sealed with a large seal across the top, similar to what you'd find on MAKERS: Private Reserve. The inside of the tuck is a solid green foiled design, very shiny indeed.
The back design of the cards also carries the patina scheme, green and copper with a few darker highlights. The design is the same as the back of the tuck, though the what is highlighted on the tuck with foil accents is a little more muted on the cards themselves. In my opinion, this is on purpose to help exemplify the aged appearance of the cards, specifically how the copper is aging and becoming green over time.
The faces have custom artwork on the courts and custom pips throughout. The red cards are replaced with a gold metallic ink that really shine in the light. The number cards are far more calm, or simple, when compared to the back design of the cards. The courts are almost standard Bicycle courts, but there are a few differences. There are two metallic ink colors used (green and copper for the black courts, gold and copper for the reds), butterflies have been added in various places across the courts, and inside the court borders the pips are diagonal -- a unique touch for sure.
The deck consists of 56 cards:
- 52 playing cards
- Two identical jokers
- Two ad cards
Where to buy?
Unfortunately, the last time I checked The Lepidopterist, Patina Edition was out of stock. You can still check out the product page at Art of Play to make sure though. And, there's always eBay!