Sacred Ibis, from the Birds of the Tropics series (N5) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

This is a chromolithograph of a Sacred Ibis, part of the Birds of the Tropics series made for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. These cards were immensely popular in the late 19th century, reflecting both an interest in exoticism and the rise of consumer culture. The image captures a Sacred Ibis against an Egyptian backdrop. The Ibis, revered in ancient Egypt and associated with the god Thoth, is here reduced to a collectible, a signifier of a distant, mysterious land, packaged to sell cigarettes. This tension between reverence and commodification speaks to the way cultures and symbols can be appropriated and transformed. The card invites us to consider how cultural symbols are extracted and recontextualized for commercial purposes, and it reflects the complexities of cultural exchange and representation in the modern world. It prompts us to reflect on what is gained and what is lost when sacred images become commodities.