Hab.ts de Goa from playing cards "Jeu d'Or" 18th century

This playing card titled "Hab.ts de Goa" is an engraving, and like all playing cards, it was designed for distribution and exchange. The card presents an intriguing mix of cultural representation and fantasy. Goa, a Portuguese colony in India, was a site of intense cultural exchange, conflict, and colonial power dynamics. This card reflects a European fascination with the ‘exotic’ customs and dress of Goa, filtered through the lens of European imagination. The figures' attire blends elements of what Europeans might have perceived as Goan or Indian dress, with European fashion. Do these images reflect a genuine attempt to capture Goan attire, or do they perpetuate a Eurocentric view of the East, reinforcing the power dynamics inherent in the colonial project? The artist’s identity remains unknown, leaving us to speculate about their intentions, biases, and position in the colonial narrative. What stories do we tell about the people depicted, and what do we project onto their images?