The Met has partnered with Lingo on this one-of-a-kind deck of playing cards inspired by the Museum's collection representing more than 5,000 years of art from around the globe. An engaging introduction to The Met collection, our Icons deck features a handpicked selection of must-see works. Highlights include the Temple of Dendur (completed by 10 B.C.), the French and South Netherlandish tapestry entitled The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (1495–1505), Young Woman with a Water Pitcher (ca. 1662) by Johannes Vermeer (Dutch, 1632–1675), Katsushika Hokusai's (Japanese, 1760–1849) The Great Wave (ca.1830–32), and Winslow Homer's (American, 1836–1910) Boys in a Dory (1873), among others. 56 cards per deck. Collaboration between The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Lingo Playing Cards. The naming convention used by The Met appears to be in the style of "The Met x [collaborator]". Not explicitly stated but probably Classic Air Cushioned Finish.

The deck features gold metallic ink on the faces, gold and silver metallic on the back and an intricate tuck case that was amazingly stamped on 2-sided color "metallic" stock, pushing the limits of detailed foiling. 600 numbered decks will become available out of the 700 produced and ICONS “SACRED” will never be reprinted. As it was technically very demanding, and before I go to the press for IMPERIAL edition's final print, I decided to “sacrifice” this deck and use it in order to test my new printer’s efficiency and also to experiment with various production aspects from cutting methods and metallic inks’ behavior to playing card finish.  I used my own varnishing formula which has a feel that I like but appears a bit sensitive to rubbing and should be handled with care. That said, crafted with much love, devotion -and some risk-, ICONS SACRED is an experimental deck, more an art object than a deck for playing games.  But who can actually play games with the Sacred? That would be a sacrilege…