Persia, from Flags of All Nations, Series 1 (N9) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

Curator: This small print, dating to 1887, comes from a series titled "Flags of All Nations," produced by Allen & Ginter for their cigarette brands. The work is called "Persia." What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Exoticized! The image feels both grand and artificial. There is this almost miniature, theatrical presentation of Persia. Curator: Interesting! And consider the composition, the way it's structured into distinct registers. At the top, the flag dominates, with a golden lion emblazoned upon it. The image evokes the concept of “the Orient” with its romanticism. It seems deliberately composed. Editor: Exactly, there’s a distinct sense of Orientalism. That lion isn’t just any lion; it's a symbol of power and regality viewed through a Western gaze. It prompts critical questions about cultural representation and colonial power dynamics at the time. How does this depiction serve the brand's image, aligning it with sophistication and worldliness? Curator: Precisely. And consider the execution, too— the color palette and stylized landscape. It possesses a somewhat flat, decorative quality reminiscent of ukiyo-e prints from Japan. The perspective seems deliberately skewed and designed. Editor: Right. These prints also existed as collectible objects in an emerging market, and were tools for shaping public opinion about faraway cultures, distilling nations into digestible images for consumers. What stories were subtly being sold alongside these cigarettes? Curator: An insightful observation! Overall, it serves not as a window into Persian reality but more as a carefully crafted mirror reflecting Western fascination with "the Orient". Editor: Right, this artwork highlights a colonial relationship that reduces a country's complexities into mere aesthetics and symbolism for consumer benefit. This prompts a bigger reflection about how images reinforce power. Curator: It indeed asks us to confront the layers of representation, perception, and power intertwined within such a small yet culturally loaded artifact. Editor: Yes, this miniature Persia is much more loaded than its size would suggest!