Cigar Store Pocahontas 1935 - 1942

This image shows a Cigar Store Pocahontas sculpture made by an anonymous artist. The figure of Pocahontas, adorned with a single feather, embodies a complex convergence of the noble savage trope with commercial interests. The feather is an ancient symbol across cultures and is associated with birds and the sky. This motif can be traced back to ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures, where feathers were used in crowns and headdresses to symbolize power and a connection to the divine. In this context, it evokes a romanticized vision of Native American culture. Such transference demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of symbols across time. The figure evokes a powerful, subconscious yearning for an idealized past, a simpler time free from modernity's discontents. It is a stark reminder of how symbols are continually reshaped.