Puzzle Card Number 4, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887 - 1891

This "Puzzle Card Number 4" was printed by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. At its heart is a six-pointed star, each point labeled and waiting to be solved by a configuration of letters, the star itself encased in an oval of swirling tendrils and dots, framed by ornamental spirals in the corners. The star form has ancient roots, surfacing in myriad cultural contexts—from the Star of David, a symbol of Judaism, to cosmological diagrams representing harmony. The spirals draw us to the labyrinthine patterns of the mind, the human psyche, and the dance between order and chaos. Consider how these motifs reappear, for instance, in the geometric designs of Islamic art, where the star symbolizes divine perfection, or in ancient Greek labyrinths, where spirals represent the trials of life. This puzzle encapsulates both a playful challenge and a connection to profound archetypal symbols. The act of solving it touches on our subconscious desire for order and meaning.