Arabia, from the Types of All Nations series (N24) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

This lithograph of Arabia, part of Allen & Ginter’s “Types of All Nations” series, presents a portrait adorned with potent symbols. Consider the headpiece, a band of red from which strings of gold descend, each tipped with pearls; these may have been intended to evoke exoticism for the late 19th-century American viewer. The pearl is an important symbol, which in antiquity, from Rome to the Far East, was associated with purity, the moon and the transformative power of water. This symbol resurfaces in Renaissance painting as an attribute of Venus, goddess of love and beauty. Here, the pearls veil the woman’s face, and they also relate to similar veiling practices in the classical world. They may subconsciously hint at hidden meanings, and mysteries to be unveiled. Symbols are the pathways of cultural memory, constantly evolving, revealing the complex interplay of human perception and cultural transmission.