Nine of Hearts, from a Set of Piquet Cards 1770 - 1826

Claude Fayolle made this playing card – Nine of Hearts, from a Set of Piquet Cards – sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. In pre-revolutionary France, card games like piquet were not merely leisurely pastimes; they were social rituals, laden with meaning and consequence. Gambling was rife, and fortunes were won and lost over a hand of cards. Fayolle's card connects us to the world of aristocratic salons and coffee houses where political intrigue and social maneuvering were as much a part of the game as the cards themselves. The heart suit carries associations with love and emotion, themes that resonated with the changing social mores of the period. To fully understand the meaning of this seemingly simple playing card, we can delve into archival records such as period literature, gaming manuals, and social histories. These sources can reveal the complex social dynamics that shaped both the creation and reception of such artifacts.