Musketeer, France, 16th Century, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph was printed by the Kinney Tobacco Company in the late 19th century. It depicts a French musketeer from the 16th century. Note the cross on his tabard. This symbol, so loaded with religious and historical weight, finds its origins in the early days of Christianity. It transcends its religious beginnings, reappearing in different contexts, from heraldry to the uniforms of military orders, each time accruing new layers of meaning. The cross reminds us of the intertwined nature of faith, power, and identity. Consider how the image of the cross has morphed through time. Initially a symbol of profound spiritual sacrifice, it has been adopted and adapted, sometimes to denote healing, sometimes to mark territories. It’s as if the collective memory unconsciously seeks to project its anxieties and aspirations onto this simple intersection of lines. This symbol is a potent reminder of how cultural symbols are continuously recycled, re-envisioned, and resurrected across the epochs.