Shanghai Deco Hatamen Cigarettes Poster

This framed advertising poster for Hatamen Cigarettes from the late 1920s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the nuanced color and fine resolution of color lithography. Known as yuefenpai, or calendar posters, these advertisements depicted fashionable women and intriguing scenery alongside annual calendars and product placements. Evolved from traditional nianhua paintings (New Year pictures), these advertising posters were strongly influenced by the Art Deco movement in the west and recall the economic boom of early 20th century Shanghai, an international center of business and trade.

In this example, a young woman dressed in fine clothing and jewelry reclines on a cushioned chaise, while in the lower left corner an open pack of Hatamen cigarettes makes a more subtle appeal to the senses. Today, these lithograph posters of tobacco brands are prized by collectors and preserved in museum collections both for their artistry and for the unique glimpse they give of the past.

Framed. Minor losses and staining to poster. Minor scuffing to frame.

Additional Dimensions:
Visible Poster: 15"W x 30"H