Jeu de Piquet des différentes nations de l'Europe

Many printed fans commemorated the heroes and battles of European wars waged between 1700 and 1740. This fan is called ‘Jeu de Piquet des différentes nations de l’Europe’ ('A New Game of Piquet now in play among the different nations of Europe'). It satirises events surrounding the War of the Polish Succession (1733-1738). Although written in French, the misspellings and inaccuracies in the text indicate that the fan leaf was produced in England. The seven players of the game are the countries involved in the war: Sardinia, France, Spain, the Austrian Empire, Saxony, Russia and Poland. Britain, for once, managed to stay out of the fray. Her sentiments summed up on the fan mean in English: ‘I’m preparing though I don’t play, but if I am nettled I’ll take up the cards’.