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

This chromolithograph of ‘Turkey’ from the Races of Mankind series was created by Abdul Cigarettes around the turn of the 20th century. As a piece of commercial ephemera, it reminds us that art is not only found on gallery walls. The image presents an exoticized view of a Turkish woman, part of a broader trend in Western culture to depict non-Western people in essentialist ways. The intention was to distill the culture of an entire country into a single image. The woman's elaborate headdress and clothing are presented as representative of Turkish culture, a visual shorthand for a complex and diverse society. These images were circulated at a time when the Ottoman Empire was weakening, and European powers were vying for influence in the region. Cigarette cards like this one reflect, and likely contributed to, the political climate of the time. Understanding the meaning of this image requires us to delve into the history of Orientalism and the social context in which it was produced and consumed.