Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1886

This postcard, a "carte postale," was sent to Philip Zilcken by Adriaan Pit, a cultural artifact that transcends its mundane function. Note the stamps: here we see the embodiment of civic symbols—the French Republic— reduced to a token for postal exchange, not unlike currency. This recalls the ancient Roman practice of imprinting coins with emperors' images, transforming political power into an everyday object. The seal impression, a circle bisected by text and time, also echoes the form of a wheel or an eye, ancient symbols of cyclical time and divine omniscience. Encoded within these bureaucratic insignias are the aspirations and anxieties of a culture. These symbols, much like potent spells, are transferred across time, shifting and accumulating layers of meaning. We cannot help but wonder about the subconscious resonances they stir within us, shaping our perceptions and fueling our collective memory.