Eight of Coins 1751

Claude Burdel created this card from a deck using woodblock and stencil around 1751. The Eight of Coins presents us with a visual and cultural puzzle typical of its time. Made in Switzerland, but of the Tarot de Marseille design common throughout France, we can see eight coins, each bearing the fleur-de-lis of the French monarchy. This deck would have been made and used just before the French Revolution when resentment toward the aristocracy grew. The very act of depicting symbols of wealth in such a common form as a deck of cards might be seen as a commentary on the distribution of wealth and power. Were these decks used for simple games, or for divination by those seeking to understand and perhaps even influence their fate in a world of rigid social structures? By studying the cultural history of playing cards, we can come to understand the complex ways in which images can reflect, reinforce, or even subvert the prevailing social order.