Infantry Soldier, Japan, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph of a Japanese infantry soldier was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional insert for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image, part of a Military Series, reveals much about the cultural and economic exchanges between America and Japan in the late 19th century. The depiction of the soldier, with his elaborate armor and weaponry, invokes a romanticized vision of the samurai class, a group whose power was in decline at that time. The circulation of these images speaks to the American fascination with Japanese culture, but it also highlights the use of exoticism in marketing and advertising strategies. Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company were early adopters of color lithography, and their commercial success reflects the rapid industrialization and consumerism of the era. To fully understand this image, we might explore archives of advertising ephemera and examine the history of the tobacco industry. It is through this kind of contextual research that we can understand how art reflects broader social and institutional forces.