Persian, A Bajadere, from Types of Nationalities (N240) issued by Kinney Bros. 1890

Curator: This small lithograph from 1890 is titled "Persian, A Bajadere," one of a series called "Types of Nationalities" issued by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. Editor: There’s a sweetness to it, despite the potential for caricature. It’s also strange how flat the rendering feels. The jewelery is literally a string of dots; so little attempt to render the material itself. Curator: These cards were cheaply produced premiums, inserted into cigarette packs as collectibles. This piece reveals how mass media participated in constructing notions of the "Orient" for American consumers. Editor: It’s amazing what these companies gave away. You see so much more attention spent on this jewelry compared to what, as you mentioned, feels like more stereotypical features like the clothing. And how about the blue hat? It’s totally devoid of texture. I think of the press operators carefully layering these colors down. Curator: Precisely. The colors chosen, the figure’s adornments—all contribute to a carefully constructed image that spoke to fantasies and stereotypes about the "exotic" and "feminine" East. Editor: And you see this “exotic” aesthetic repeated again and again on things like textiles and perfume packaging. Bajaderes—what a potent image to sell consumer products. Do we know anything about the labor behind making these cards, anything about the company workers and how they identified with the image? Curator: I'd have to look into it, but my hunch is those records weren’t kept with particular care. In any case, this was an instance where corporate promotion actively shaped public perception about non-Western cultures. Editor: A little printed artifact with massive, ongoing ramifications in manufacturing consent. This image made me think about both material choices and production context in 19th century America, a critical confluence to remember.