Koets en koetsier met twee wachters in Caïro 1887 - 1900

This photograph by G. Lekegian & Co. in Cairo presents a moment suspended in time, dominated by symbols of power and tradition. The carriage, drawn by two white horses, is guarded by two armed figures. These men carry spears, symbols deeply rooted in human history. Since antiquity, the spear has been a weapon of war and emblem of authority. As a means of defense it speaks to a primal human need for protection, but also the control of space and resources. The figures flanking the carriage remind us of similar escorts found in ancient reliefs. In the processions of pharaohs, and even in the retinues of Roman emperors, armed guards ensured safety and conveyed status. Across millennia, the need to protect figures of power manifests itself in this recurring motif. Such iconography taps into a collective memory, conjuring feelings of security and imposing power. Consider the cyclical nature of these symbols and gestures, echoing across time, reappearing and shifting in form, yet retaining their fundamental essence.