The Art of the Deal

‘Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, of playing a poor hand well.’

– Jack London

Playing cards is, in many ways, a hallmark of civilisation. Like maps and money, a deck of cards is a way of representing an entire value system and an understanding of human nature on paper. A game of cards embodies the inherent unpredictability of life, allowing us to grapple with the uncertainties, directing them towards our own ends. At the card table, when the hands are dealt, all men are temporarily equal; it is how they choose to play those cards that determines who will draw ahead. The players are required to practice both strategic and emotional discipline, and one’s reaction to a bad hand or a sudden windfall can reveal much about his temperament and priorities. As in cards, so in life.

Nothing illustrates the intuitive nature of cards more clearly than the idioms that have been adopted in modern English. Nobody needs to be told what it means to ‘keep your cards close to your chest’, to ‘follow suit’ or to be ‘dealt a bad hand’. With separate origins in China, the Middle East and North Africa, and a long history in Europe, cards are one of the most universal and timeless forms of interaction. Played by nomads and emperors, parlour maids and Lords, cards form a shared pastime that connects all levels of society across the ages.

The basic concept is always the same: a set of symbols representing a range of values and subgroups. The execution, however, can take on a myriad of different forms, many of which are illustrated by the cards within these pages. Not only do their designs reflect the market, from unique silk cards fit for a king (item 2) to mass-produced cards for general use, but they also offer valuable insight into their contemporary societies. From satire (items 10, 11, and 40, for example) to propaganda (such as items 131-134, 141, 142, and 148), many of the decks take on overtly political positions, while the images on others reveal much about the fashion (like items 11 and 39), entertainment (see items 59 and 149) and events (items 29 and 50) of the day. Some are not used for playing games at all, but instead for sending messages (such as items 13 and, poignantly, 16), promoting products (numerous examples such as items 105, 111, 114, 122, and 124) or even teaching music (item 57).

Spanning four centuries and two continents, the cards within this collection represent a wealth of potential. These palm-sized pieces of paper have the power to enrich, educate, reunite, advertise or entertain. They can record the social, political and cultural movements of a nation’s history, while still remaining a light-hearted way to pass the evening. The artistic and technical innovations of the generations of card-makers represented in these pages have ensured that, even if you get dealt a bad hand, you are still holding good cards.