[Grand jeu de société]

Paris: BP Grimaud, 1880. Deck of 54 chromolithographed playing cards. 52 of the cards contain a constellation in the top center, a letter of the alphabet in the top left corner, mythological vignettes on the lower portion, a flower in the lower central compartment, and a conventional 4-suit card illustration in the top right corner. The remaining two cards depict a standing male and female character. One card is stamped Republique Française Decret du 12 avril 1880. In fine condition. An early fortune-telling deck of cards with astrological, mythical, and allegorical scenes. Each card features 5 cartomancy elements, making it a versatile deck usable for numerology, tarot, astrological readings, flora fortune telling, and basic card games. The mythological scenes are taken from Greek, Roman, and Biblical sources, and some cards depict alchemical experiments.

Marie-Anne Lenormand (1772-1843) was a renowned French seer and fortune teller who advised Napoleon and Empress Josephine among other aristocrats and predicted many political events. This deck was first mass produced in 1845, shortly after Lenormand's death. (Inventory #: 19630)