Fiche voor een kaartspel c. 1835

This unassuming card, titled "Fiche voor een kaartspel", was made anonymously. It's printed on paper, a seemingly simple material with a rich history tied to global trade and literacy. Notice the crisp typography. It's a testament to the skills of early printers, who combined technical precision with an eye for aesthetics. The card bears the words "Bücher," "Livres," "Marken," and "Jetons," indicating its use in multilingual settings, most likely a casino where people from different countries gathered to play. The number eight designates its value as a token. But consider the labor involved in producing these cards. From the papermakers who transformed raw materials into the printing surface, to the typesetters who arranged each letter, and the press operators who transferred the ink, each card represents a chain of work. The Fiche voor een kaartspel asks us to consider how materials, making, and social context intertwine, blurring the lines between everyday objects and works of cultural significance.