St. Michael and St. George, Great Britain, from the World's Decorations series (N30) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This small chromolithograph card, from a series by Allen & Ginter, depicts the insignia of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, with the image of St. George slaying the dragon. The cross has been a symbol through the ages, predating Christianity, and is representative of divine power, the sun, or the cosmos. The dragon slain by St. George is, of course, laden with symbolic weight. Dragons embody chaos, primal fear, and the untamed forces of nature. The symbolic act of conquering the dragon has appeared in ancient myths across cultures—from Apollo slaying Python in Delphi, or Marduk slaying Tiamat in Babylonian myth—all signifying order triumphing over chaos. Interestingly, the dragon surfaces throughout history, evolving into different forms, sometimes demonized, sometimes revered. It speaks to the collective subconscious, where the battle between order and chaos wages eternally, resurfacing in our dreams and myths.