Zanzibar (Turk), from the Natives in Costume series (N16), Teofani Issue, for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1886 - 1900

This late 19th-century chromolithograph by Allen & Ginter, part of a series for cigarette brands, presents a ‘Turk’ from Zanzibar in vibrant costume. The turban he wears—a symbol of dignity and identity, particularly across the Islamic world—can be traced back through centuries of shifting empires and cultural exchange. Consider how the turban appears in Renaissance paintings, often adorning figures from the East, embodying both respect and a degree of exoticism. This echoes the ways in which cultural symbols can be appropriated and reinterpreted, carrying layers of meaning that evolve with each reappearance. The very act of depicting this man in a commercial format speaks to a human fascination with the foreign, appealing to the viewer's curiosity and projecting an aura of the mysterious onto the subject. It invites us to consider how deeply embedded motifs resonate through cultural memory. The turban, transformed from a marker of status to an exotic allure, reflects our ongoing dialogue between familiarity and otherness.