Mannenkostuum uit Kasjmir en kostuum van een Tartaren-generaal uit China, uit de verzameling van Emil Riebeck op de binnenplaats van het Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlijn 1884

Curator: Hmm, this one feels like stepping into a sepia-toned dream. There's a quiet, almost reverent atmosphere emanating from this image. Editor: Indeed, what we have here is Hermann Rückwardt's collotype from 1884, titled "Mannerkostuum uit Kasjmir en kostuum van een Tartaren-generaal uit China, uit de verzameling van Emil Riebeck op de binnenplaats van het Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlijn"—quite a mouthful! It showcases costumes from Emil Riebeck's collection. Curator: Riebeck, the ethnographer, right? So, it's more than just fashion; it's a window into cultural identity frozen in time. I am captivated by how tactile it appears; it is just a photo, yet I want to touch those fabrics. Editor: The tactile quality you mention is achieved, in part, through the meticulous detail captured by the collotype process. Notice how Rückwardt arranges the two distinct costumes—one a somewhat plainly dressed individual in a simple robe with adorned carry bag and the other wearing a much more decorated war suit—on the frame with each sharing a different tone. Curator: Absolutely! It's fascinating. There’s this interplay between the everyday and the ceremonial. The lighting almost treats them like specimens under glass. Editor: One could read this composition semiotically: The two costumes, placed in contrast, generate a field of meaning through their juxtaposition. One is subdued and intimate while the other seems loud with a sense of public presentation. Curator: See, that makes me wonder about Riebeck’s intentions. Was he trying to document, to understand, or was there an element of... collecting souls, maybe? You know, when an ethnographer looks at cultures from "outside?" Editor: That’s a valid point to note about our view on artifacts collected by such expeditions. The act of acquisition is always steeped in historical context and that lens matters here when talking about works such as these. In terms of pure structure and design choices of the piece, there is so much visual weight. This creates an amazing balance in the photo. The arrangement draws your eye to it for much longer. Curator: It’s true! Rückwardt transformed this documentation into something almost spiritual. Looking at how the collotype renders textures—that heavy tunic—I sense stories untold. It is more than just clothes; these figures bear unspoken secrets! Editor: Perhaps that tension is the magic of this work—it's suspended between the objective gaze of the documentarian and the subjective experience it evokes. I think we can both appreciate how it challenges us to look and wonder more closely! Curator: I agree. It makes me want to imagine their owners. Wonderful how simple objects are more loaded than we would ever think.