Order of the Lion of the Zaehringer, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: So, this teeny-tiny treasure is “Order of the Lion of the Zaehringer” from 1888, made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It's a promotional print for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. I'm really struck by how intricate the detail is for something intended to be, well, tossed away with your cigarette pack! It seems so...formal. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s quite the jewel, isn’t it? Instantly, I am transported to an age of chivalry, but miniaturized, almost whimsical. The “Order of the Lion” itself probably carried significant weight for the recipient, so rendering it in this accessible format almost feels…tongue-in-cheek, no? Did this democratize symbols of status, or mock their inherent meaning? Consider too: what fantasies did smokers indulge when gazing at these? A daydream of glory between puffs? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the psychological impact of carrying around a symbol of honor while indulging in, you know, *smoking*. I was just thinking of it as, like, early advertising. Curator: Exactly! That tension is where the real intrigue lies, I think. Plus, notice how the company carefully connects itself to quality: suggesting that their Sweet Caporals are elevated, worthy of the most discerning palates - not unlike those decorated with high honor! Now tell me - the *Lion of the Zaehringer* - what springs to *your* mind when you see this, our little undergraduate art historian? Editor: It feels like they're trying to sell a fantasy of aristocracy...even to people who could probably never attain it! So it's, like, escapism in your pocket. This wasn’t *exactly* mass media, was it? Curator: Yes, *but in a really compact size!* A curious kind of ephemeral folk art. A very shrewd marketing of *excellence, prestige and authority.* In a very handy pocket sized product that burns up as you use it! Editor: Whoa. Okay, I'm looking at this totally differently now. Curator: The image really sparks one to reflect and to imagine *being someone else, elsewhere*. Right? Well I’ve really learnt so much speaking with you! It really does show that everything old is truly new again, somehow. Editor: Right! Always new eyes available to re-examine it.