China, from the International Cards series (N238), issued by Kinney Bros. 1888

Curator: Here we have a card from Kinney Brothers’ “International Cards” series, titled “China,” dating back to 1888. These cards, originally inserts in tobacco products, present a fascinating window into late 19th-century cultural perceptions. Editor: My first thought is: such a strange combination of visual elements. You have a portrait rendered with obvious care, then a peculiar assemblage of decorative symbols crowding around it, almost flattening the perspective. The materiality looks to be mass produced? Curator: Indeed, these were cheaply produced chromolithographs intended for mass consumption. But note the visual language – the “Order of the Dragon” flag, the medal, the backdrop of roses and bamboo framing the figure, all meticulously arranged to signify “China” to Western eyes. Even the Ukiyo-e influence. Editor: You said ‘Western Eyes” so right! I’m interested in the labor and manufacturing processes involved, as they reveal much about class and taste at the time. To me the artistic “choices” read much more about cost constraints and consumption than representation. Are those watercolor washes I see as the original medium? How many workers would be doing what, to deliver this print run? Curator: Quite possibly watercolours were used for the original artwork. The printing techniques would be central. Also interesting to contemplate how people received this imagery then, versus how we receive it now – considering shifts in cultural power dynamics. What kind of person collected this image, and why? Was this exoticism fueling dreams of conquest? Editor: Exactly! The Orientalism here cannot be overlooked. Each symbol – fan, portrait, text – functions as a commodity, consumed as easily as the tobacco itself. Even that bamboo border. To really see it we must unpack not just “China,” but how American industry commodified entire cultures for the mass market. What a use of labor. Curator: Right. It becomes a kind of meta-symbol, representing the act of representation itself, of knowledge translated through a lens of power. Even the "Order of the Dragon" on the flag seems somewhat misinterpreted as part of an image-package to entice smokers! Editor: This seemingly innocuous card, made of simple paper, dyes and mass printing, offers such a clear view into social class structures and a worldwide appetite for cheap cultural thrills. Thank you for the symbols' interpretation—they have me see its economic implications in new light!