Tiger, from the Quadrupeds series (N21) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This image of a tiger is from the Quadrupeds series of collectible cards produced by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. Here, the tiger, a symbol of raw power and untamed energy, is depicted with bared teeth, a gesture we see echoed through millennia, from the fearsome lion-headed goddess Sekhmet in ancient Egyptian art to the roaring lions guarding temple entrances in China. This snarling display taps into something primal within us; it’s a visual shorthand for aggression and dominance. Consider how this same gesture of bared teeth appears in human expressions of anger, a vestige of our evolutionary past, signaling a readiness to fight. The tiger has long held a place in our collective unconscious, embodying both terror and awe. The image resonates as a powerful archetype, engaging viewers on a subconscious level with its potent emotional charge. It is this cyclical progression of symbols, resurfacing and evolving, that reveals the intricate web of cultural memory.