Castanets, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 3) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This novelty card, "Castanets," was produced by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company. It features a young woman, framed by an object resembling a castanet, with a blue ribbon tied above. The structural composition of the card is immediately striking. Kinney Brothers disrupt traditional portraiture by placing the figure within the shape of a castanet, challenging our expectations of form and context. The young woman is framed by the castanet's body, which draws attention to her features. This tension between frame and figure invites a semiotic reading, where the castanet—a symbol of Spanish music and dance—acts as a signifier of cultural identity. The card engages with the semiotics of representation by embedding the portrait within a cultural symbol, prompting us to question how identity is constructed and perceived. Consider how this small card reflects broader cultural dialogues about performance and representation.