As an antiquarian book collector, I’ve always been fascinated by the astonishing variations in fonts and typefaces. These days we are so overwhelmed by the variety of fonts that we see both in print and online that we often pay no attention at all to the brilliance of the design work involved. However, I was intrigued by the crowdfunding project for this clever set of eight new font designs that draw inspiration from the past.

“Fontikon is a Worldwide Type Foundry of Ethno-Esoteric-Mystic-Magical fonts for creatives, graphic designers and game designers. It contains a set of 8 ancient fonts from historical cultures and civilizations around the world, designed in modern style. The collection is inspired and brings together: Alchemy, Adinkra, Aztec, Celtic, Lovecraftian, Japan Samurai, Viking Norse, Slavian. These are not your regular novelty fonts, they’re a divergence from the stereotypical.Fontikon visually transports ancient languages to the digital era. Taking cues from historical visualization and linguistics, is a new way of re-visiting the past. ”

Italian designer Michela Graziani created the project called Fontikon, elegantly bringing Ethno-Esoteric fonts and symbols inspired by worldwide ancient civilizations.It’s a fascinating collection, and feels much more unique and authentic than the novelty fonts that are far too common.Take a look at Graziani’s active Kickstarter campaign to learn more about this cool project.