Ambon en enkele van haar inwoners, 1599 1600s - 1610s

This engraving, made in 1599 by an anonymous artist, depicts Ambon and some of its inhabitants. The image gives us insight into the initial encounters between the Dutch and the people of Ambon, in what is now Indonesia. Notice the ships in the harbor. This reflects the Dutch East India Company's growing presence and ambition in the spice trade. The figures on the shore, labeled A through D, offer a glimpse into the artist's perception, or perhaps the perception he was directed to portray, of the local population. This image isn't just a neutral depiction; it's loaded with the cultural assumptions and the power dynamics of the time. How were the figures portrayed? What was the relationship between the West and East at this time? By consulting historical documents, such as company records, travel logs, and ethnographic studies, we can begin to unpack the complex layers of meaning embedded in this image. What appears at first glance to be a straightforward depiction of a place and its people, becomes a window into the institutional and social forces shaping early globalization.