I've always found the toucan to be an attractive and unusual bird, courtesy of its bright markings
and large colourful bills, so the Tucan deck inspired by this iconic bird was immediately going to
appeal to me. As a result of the unique appearance, these iconic birds are considered to be among
the most popular and well-known in the world. It certainly makes them well suited to fly into a
custom deck of playing cards.
Toucans are a forest species that is native to the
neotropical realm that includes South America, and can be found in a region stretching from parts of
Mexico down to the top of Argentina. They've long been associated with the Mayan rainforests of
central America, and that's why several Mayan symbols have been incorporated on the design of the
card backs: Muyal (Cloud), Ja' (Water), Chan (Sky), K'in (Sun), and Witz (Mountain).
The
backs of the playing cards from this deck look absolutely exquisite, with a very striking central
motif based around the Toucan's head and bill, set on a detailed background with Mayan symbols. The
attractive Aces likewise show an attention to detail and ornamented design.
Everything
about the deck is fully custom, including the font used for the indices, the design of the pips, and
the Jokers, the latter being inspired by the Mayan ritual performers known as Baldzam. Under the
pips on the indices is a separate Mayan numbering system.
But my favourite part of this
deck is the stunning range of court cards. These continue the Mayan theme, with 12 unique
characters styled with period weapons and accessories, and placed in background that evokes their
ancient setting. This is an outstanding deck of custom playing cards, and a wonderful tribute to an
ancient culture and place.
As with most of the custom decks produced by Penguin Magic,
these are printed by the United States Playing Card Company, so you can expect durable and high
quality cards that perform smoothly and reliably right out of the box.
Inspired by the Mayans
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