French La Sybylle Des Salons fortune-telling deck, c. 1890s
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1890's
This collection consists of a complete 52-card deck of French 'La Sybylle Des Salons' cards dating to the 1890s. The cards function as a dual-purpose set, featuring court card indicators in the top left corner, which allows them to be used as a standard playing deck, alongside printed French fortune-telling interpretations at the base of each card.
The deck displays historical usage with signs of wear, particularly concentrated on the lower right corners, suggesting the habitual handling associated with divination readings. Each individual card measures approximately 4.5 inches by 3 inches. The deck is presented without its original box or instruction manual. The cards are noted to be free of tears or creases despite their age. While the exact manufacturer is not explicitly confirmed, the style is attributed to the French card producer B.
P. Grimaud.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Count
- 52
- Dimensions
- 4.5" x 3"
Technical characteristics
- Function
- Fortune telling and playing deck
Design
- Features
- Court card indicators in top corner, fortune-telling text at base
- Language
- French
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- B. P. Grimaud
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.