Ada Rehan in Italian Costume of 1600, from the set Actors and Actresses, Second Series (N71) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888 - 1890

This small card, created by W. Duke, Sons & Co., presents actress Ada Rehan in Italian costume of 1600, a vision of Renaissance splendor. The plumes atop her hat speak of opulence and power, reflecting an era of aristocratic display. Consider the motif of feathers; they appear throughout history in various forms – as symbols of divinity in ancient Egypt, adorning helmets of Roman centurions, and embellishing Renaissance-era fashion. These motifs reflect a deep-seated human desire to connect with the heavens and project power. Feathers, symbols of lightness and flight, are paradoxically used here to signify grounded social status. Notice that the collective memory associated with feathers, and the cultural weight they bear, has evolved over time, shifting from the sacred to the secular, yet retaining a fundamental association with aspiration. This image encapsulates the cyclical recurrence of symbols, each appearance colored by its unique historical moment.