--Silver plated ear wire. --Oval card size: 1.75" x 1.25"

I’ve been making Hanafuda card jewelry since 2004. Known in South Korea as Hwatu and Sakura in Hawaii. I’ve shipped them all over the world and wondered why people sought them out. I kind of lost interest in them and moved onto newer designs but kept a couple of items on #etsy. A buddy of mine yesterday mentioned that #nintendo started manufacturing them a long time ago, before they started making video games. I just looked at their Wikipedia page and it’s fascinating. Playing cards were introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century. These cards and gambling in general were banned by the government. The card designs kept changing, in a game of cat and mouse with the authorities. Each time the designs got more and more abstract. 👽 My early memories are full of grown ups playing loudly with these cards, slapping them down and yelling. I think I found them scary at some point. The early days of my @nicelena jewelry line, I sought to use whatever I found, deconstructing and reconstructing non traditional materials into jewelry. Standing inside a Korean grocery store and looking at these cards, I instantly knew I had to make something with them. I’m excited about these again so I dug out my box of cards. Time to play.