Peru, from "Court Game of Geography" 1838 - 1855

This lithograph of Peru, part of a geographical card game by William and Henry Rock, presents us with more than just a map. Note the prominent arrowheads encircling the country, acting as directional pointers. The arrow, since antiquity, has been a symbol of direction, force, and even fate. One might recall the arrows of Cupid, driving us towards love, or the arrows of Apollo, bringing plague. Here, the arrowheads—perhaps unintentionally—evoke a sense of imposed direction, a subtle visual cue that points to the colonial ambitions of the 19th century, when cartography was often intertwined with political and economic interests. They suggest a powerful force exerted upon the land, subtly imposing a narrative of control and dominance. The collective memory embedded in such symbols engages viewers on a subconscious level. This ostensibly innocent map becomes charged with the psychological weight of historical power dynamics, a silent testament to the complex interplay between geography, symbolism, and cultural memory.