Vintage Hatamen Cigarettes Advertisement Poster

With its product discretely located on the lower right, this early 20th-century poster for Hatamen cigarettes centered upon a scene from classic Chinese literature to capture the attention of the public. Printed in the 1930s, the lithographed poster demonstrates the rise of Western-style advertising methods, mixing traditional themes with lushly illustrated and narrative-based themes. The scene depicts the fictional Oath of the Peach Garden from the 14th-century novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” In this iconic moment, the story’s protagonists engage in a battle that will unite them in fraternal loyalty. Unframed.