Life — December 7, 1928 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Caliph Does His Christmas Shopping" This satirical cartoon depicts an exotic, orientalist scene of a wealthy Middle Eastern ruler (a "Caliph") conducting Christmas shopping. The humor stems from the incongruity: a Muslim authority figure participating in a Christian holiday tradition, likely satirizing either American consumerism's reach into foreign cultures or the absurdity of wealthy foreigners adopting Western customs. The scene shows elaborate architectural backdrops (minarets, domed buildings) and ornately dressed attendants carrying luxurious goods and parcels. The Caliph's entourage and excessive material display mock both extravagant wealth and the commercialization of Christmas itself. This reflects early-20th-century American attitudes toward the "Orient"—combining exoticization with gentle mockery of cultural mixing and capitalist expansion. The cartoon's tone is lighthearted rather than genuinely critical.