Each face card in this deck is based on a real Apsara figure from the Dunhuang cave murals — a site that's been painted continuously for over 1,000 years. J, Q, K, and A each tell a different story.
Which of the four (J/Q/K/A) would you most want to see up close?
Welcome to the Silk Road Showdown — a 4-part community vote to crown the best face card in the Dunhuang Flying Apsaras deck. Each round features one suit. Vote for your favorite, and one random voter wins a free deck shipped worldwide.
Round 1: ♦️ Diamonds
Every card is hand-drawn from a real flying apsara mural inside the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, painted across different dynasties over 1,000 years.
Your candidates:
J — Jack of Diamonds. Symmetrical doubled form — four apsaras mirrored into one. The calmest, most meditative composition of the four.
Q — Queen of Diamonds. Sweeping S-curve pose, flowing robes in deep blue and crimson. One of the most iconic silhouettes in the entire deck.
K — King of Diamonds. Multi-colored ribbon trails, the most complex layering of any face card. Every color references a different pigment found in the original cave.
A — Ace of Diamonds. A solo apsara in free flight, trailing silk ribbons through the air. The most dynamic composition in the suit.
How to vote: Just comment J, Q, K, or A. That's it.
Want double your chances? Follow our Kickstarter preview page and reply "Followed" — your name goes in the draw twice: 🔗 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heritedge/dunhuang-flying-apsaras-playing-cards-vol-ii
Prize: 1 random voter wins a free Dunhuang Flying Apsaras deck (both colorways — Crimson Red & Pure White). Worldwide shipping, on us.
Winner announced when Round 2 (♥️ Hearts) drops in 10 days.
See you in Round 2. ♥️
Been going back and forth on which colorway to push as the "main" deck for our Kickstarter launch. Help me decide — Red or White?
The Red reads ceremonial, warm, rich. The White feels almost archaeological, like something excavated from a dig site. Same illustration, completely different mood.
Hi everyone!
I’m thrilled to return to Kickstarter with Dunhuang Flying Apsaras Vol. II.
This project is a tribute to the legendary murals of the Mogao Caves. We’ve spent months hand-drawing every detail to capture the ethereal beauty of the Flying Apsaras. But we wanted to go further than just beautiful paper—we’ve integrated modern AR technology so you can see the murals "float" and come to life right from the cards.
🎁 GIVEAWAY DETAILS: To celebrate our upcoming launch, I’m giving away 3 Standard Decks with Free Worldwide Shipping!（Union with r / playingcards）
Follow the Journey: We are launching soon! You can check out our pre-launch page here to get notified when we go live: 👉 our KS Page
I'll announce the winners in 8 days right here in this thread. Good luck, and thank you for supporting independent creators!
Hi everyone,
The wait is almost over! We are excited to share that Dunhuang Flying Apsaras Vol. II is coming soon.
This project is a labor of love, blending traditional hand-drawn art with modern AR technology to bring the legendary Mogao Cave murals to life in the palm of your hand.
🎁 GIVEAWAY DETAILS: We are giving away 3 Standard Decks with Free Worldwide Shipping!
To Enter: Drop a comment below with your thoughts on the deck or the Dunhuang theme. That’s it!
Follow the Project: Check out our pre-launch page for more details and to get notified when we go live: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heritedge/dunhuang-flying-apsaras-playing-cards-vol-ii
Winners will be announced in 10 days. Good luck to everyone!