Real talk

The his-tory lesson:The use of the carved Indian as a symbol in front of a tobacco shop began in England the early 1600s as the ships from America began to bring back tobacco. The symbolism of the statues was because the source of the tobacco supply at that time was from Native Americans.

These “Cigar store Indians” also became popular symbols of the 19th and early 20th-century tobacco trade in America. Thousands of these tall, sculptural figures were created in America during for the hugely profitable tobacco trade and are now sold as antiques current day.