Borneo, from the Races of Mankind series (T181) issued by Abdul Cigarettes 1881

This small chromolithograph of a Bornean man comes from a series of cigarette cards issued by Abdul Cigarettes around the turn of the century. The series was entitled "Races of Mankind," a title that lays bare the pseudo-scientific racism so prevalent at this time. The card depicts a man in profile, wearing a red headscarf and ornate earrings. It presents a generalized image, reducing a diverse population to a single type. Made in a period of intense colonial expansion, the card reflects the Western fascination with, and often distorted understanding of, non-Western cultures. Tobacco companies frequently used such imagery to market their products, tapping into and reinforcing existing stereotypes. The cards were essentially a form of propaganda. To fully understand this image, we must consult sources from the period. Colonial archives, anthropological studies, and even advertisements can reveal the complex social and political context in which it was produced and consumed.