Hidden Leaves is the first original-design deck by Mahdi Gilbert, known on stage as Mahdi The Magician. It blends references from traditional Japanese and French aesthetics, and its creator conceives it as a tribute to Le Samouraï, Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 film. Its most striking feature is that the cards have no indices, as was the case with antique decks.

• PublisherMahdi The Magician
• DesignMahdi Gilbert
• PrinterUnited States Playing Card Company
• Finishsmooth, on thin crushed card stock
• Special featurecards without indices

Design

The back is blue and two-way (it looks the same in either orientation), and reinterprets the idea of Bicycle’s classic Rider Back. In the centre is a Tree of Life whose branches gather the colours of the rainbow and the seasons of life; roots, branches and leaves are presented as a metaphor for the heartbeat of humanity. The faces are hand-illustrated by Mahdi himself and were printed using an old technique that deliberately leaves small imperfections, which gives the deck its aged look.

As there are no indices (the numbers and letters in the corners), the cards can only be identified by the central artwork. This opens the door to unusual magic effects involving card changes and makes it easier for the audience to follow the routines.

Manufacturing

It is made in the United States by the United States Playing Card Company on thin, crushed card stock (crushed, a treatment that makes it more flexible and consistent) with a smooth finish, designed for fine card handling.

In short

Mahdi Gilbert’s first signature deck, with no corner indices and hand-illustrated faces paying tribute to Melville’s Le Samouraï. Designed for magicians looking for different visual routines and for collectors; for playing it is less practical.