China, from the National Flags series (N195) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 1/4 × 2 9/16 in. (10.8 × 6.5 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.216.195.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century commercial art with *China, from the National Flags series (N195, a colorful lithograph produced by William S. Kimball & Company 1891. This print (just 4¼ × 2⅝ inches) captures the Chinese flag adorned with imperial dragons, emblematic symbols of power and good fortune in Chinese culture. Issued as part of a popular series by the American tobacco firm, it likely served as a collectible in cigarette packs, sparking a craze for trading cards that educated (and enticed) consumers with global imagery during an era of expanding international trade and cur...
About the Artist
William S. Kimball & Company
**William S. Kimball & Company**, a pioneering American tobacco manufacturer, was established in 1846 in Rochester, New York, by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart. The firm quickly grew into one of the city's largest employers, particularly of women, producing popular brands like Peerless chewing tobacco, Rigatta and Fireside smoking tobacco, and Vanity Fair cigarettes. Under Kimball's leadersh...