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

Editor: This small, vibrant card, "Order of the Golden Fleece, Austria," was created around 1888 by the Kinney Tobacco Company as part of a series promoting Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It's a watercolor and print miniature of the Order’s insignia. What immediately strikes me is the juxtaposition of the rather regal imagery with its use as cigarette advertising. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's fascinating how luxury and the everyday intertwine, isn't it? The Order of the Golden Fleece itself is steeped in layers of symbolic meaning – from the classical myth of Jason and the Argonauts to its adoption as a symbol of chivalry and nobility. The Golden Fleece represents not just wealth, but also adventure, quest, and the acquisition of something precious, perhaps even unobtainable. The order evokes an almost primal narrative. Editor: So the cigarette company is trying to associate that sense of adventure and prestige with their product? Curator: Precisely. Tobacco companies often used imagery associated with power and status to entice consumers. Think about the visual language: the ram, an ancient symbol of sacrifice and prosperity, hangs suspended beneath elaborate crown-like symbols, ribbons, and filigree. The colours, the very small scale of the image… it all combines to suggest the allure of accessing something elevated. How does it resonate with you, knowing this history? Editor: It makes me consider how easily symbols can be co-opted and recontextualized. What was once solely associated with knighthood and honor becomes a marketing tool. Curator: Exactly. It also illustrates how cultural memory persists. People would have at least some understanding of the Golden Fleece story, and seeing that embedded into the imagery affects how the product is perceived. I think it serves as a small, shiny reminder that objects, even the most mundane ones, are never simply just themselves. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. Now I'm thinking about all the other encoded images and messages floating around. Curator: Which perhaps we can unravel another day. There's so much more to decode!