Ankh of Mishra

The Ankh of Mishra was originally illustrated by Christopher Rush for the Alpha and Beta sets of Magic: The Gathering, released in 1993. As one of the game's earliest artifacts, it represents the high-risk, high-reward design philosophy prevalent in the game's infancy, punishing players for playing land cards by dealing damage. The imagery reflects the mystical, ancient aesthetic that defined the game's first year, blending classical motifs with the emergent high-fantasy style of early Wizards of the Coast products.

The Limited Edition Beta set was released shortly after the initial Alpha print run to address demand and correct minor errors in the first release. While visually similar to the Alpha version, the Beta cards feature the sharper, more refined black-bordered aesthetic that became the standard for the game's most collectible early assets. Christopher Rush, a central figure in early Magic art, sought to evoke an sense of primordial power, and his work on the Ankh remains a staple of the set's iconic visual identity.