Vintage Cigarette Calendar Poster

This 1930s poster melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the visual aesthetic of color lithography. In this alluring poster, a fresh-faced ingénue confronts us with a come-hither pose, inviting a sniff of the rose sprig she holds close to her face. Bearing the influence of 1930s elegance, the image reflects Western notions of beauty and modernity, as well as the business of smoking cigarettes that accompanied China’s economic boom of the early 20th-century. Below the central portrait is a calendar for the year 1934, surrounded by boxes of cigarettes from major brands of the time, including Victory, Double Crane, Chien Men, and Hatamen. Prized by collectors and preserved in many museum collections, these posters are remarkable for their artistry and the unique glimpse they provide of a past era.