Guinea Fowl, from the Prize and Game Chickens series (N20) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1891

Editor: This is "Guinea Fowl" from the Prize and Game Chickens series by Allen & Ginter, dating back to 1891. It's a small print, a colored pencil drawing, and it gives off this wonderfully strange feeling, like looking at a modern-day Ukiyo-e print. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Immediately, I am drawn to the symbolism embedded within the image. Beyond just a portrait of a bird, consider the guinea fowl itself. In many cultures, it’s seen as a symbol of vigilance, even warning. The dotted pattern of the fowl resembles the human psyche, its diverse emotions, beliefs and behaviour. Does the fowl appear contemplative? Editor: Yes, it almost seems posed, proud even, despite being a relatively ordinary bird. Curator: Exactly. The backdrop, a muted landscape with a stylized tree branch, nods towards the influence of Japonisme, which took European art by storm during this period. The Ukiyo-e aesthetic you pointed out also reminds us how cultural fascination plays into our perception and categorization of images. How might the bird, perched precariously between naturalism and commercial promotion, serve as a message? Editor: It’s advertising, yes? So maybe this juxtaposition elevates the ordinary through the lens of high art and distant cultures. It presents the every-day object through an attractive lens. Curator: An exoticisation of an ordinary object! Advertising became one of the major forces shaping taste in the West, and what this print reminds us is how much power these symbols contain. Looking at it now makes me see how carefully constructed that visual language became, starting with unassuming images such as this Guinea Fowl. Editor: It’s fascinating how much meaning can be packed into something seemingly simple like a trading card.