Bayadere, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

Editor: This small print, titled "Bayadere" by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company, dates back to 1889. It looks like a watercolor illustration. What stands out to me is the emphasis on her exotic costume. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, consider this as a trade card. It circulated with tobacco products. Suddenly, its existence pivots from high art to mass-produced ephemera. Note the watercolor medium; easily reproduced on a commercial scale. Editor: So, the choice of watercolor was more about production than aesthetics? Curator: Precisely. This is Japonisme meeting Orientalism filtered through the lens of American consumer culture. The materials and the means of production directly informed its creation. How does the subject -the dancer - play into this? Editor: I guess the "exotic" subject matter would have appealed to consumers at the time. It reinforces cultural stereotypes through readily available and affordable goods. So this small card becomes a vehicle for larger cultural narratives. Curator: Exactly! Its value lies not in its aesthetic "aura," but in the cultural machinery it represents: labor, materials, consumption, and the dissemination of orientalist tropes through commercial channels. A luxury good creating accessibility. Editor: It's amazing how a seemingly simple print can reveal so much about the intersection of art, industry, and cultural perceptions. Thanks, this was very insightful. Curator: It’s all about looking at the forces of production. Thanks for helping to bring them to light.