Belle Urquhart in ancient Jewish costume, Island of Ceylon, from the set Actors and Actresses, First Series (N70) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888 - 1889

Curator: This delicate piece is entitled "Belle Urquhart in ancient Jewish costume, Island of Ceylon," dating from 1888-1889. It was created by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of a series for Duke brand cigarettes, and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My first impression is how this tiny portrait manages to feel so exotic yet strangely intimate, like a window into a meticulously staged play. Curator: Indeed! The combination of watercolour, colored pencil and printmaking points to the means of mass production. The company used relatively cheap materials, intending to make these images widely available in cigarette packs, turning them into collectible items, boosting consumption of their brand. Editor: Yet the turban and jewelry signal something more than mere commerce. The headdress particularly intrigues me. It’s not conventionally “Jewish,” hinting instead at a syncretic blend of cultures, reflecting perhaps a Western fascination with the “Orient,” all filtered through a very specific, colonial lens of the Island of Ceylon. Curator: You touch on something key: orientalism as a lens, presenting a romanticized view of non-Western cultures for Western consumption. Editor: And consider the layering of meanings here: Urquhart is styled in 'ancient Jewish costume', but for a contemporary Western audience. What are we meant to infer about her identity, about Jewish identity, about the exotic “other”? It prompts reflection on historical depictions of otherness. The layering is key here. Curator: And further complicated by its intended function: tobacco advertising, designed for mass consumption. There's tension between the artistic rendering and commercial purpose; both intertwined and feeding one another. The means of disseminating these images really impact meaning making! Editor: Ultimately, the symbols within the artwork create a dialogue between perceived identities and genuine representation, a dance between exoticism and familiar understanding that continues to echo into our own era. Curator: Examining this piece illuminates how mass production played an important role in constructing and circulating those perceptions about culture, identity, and "otherness." Fascinating.