Portret van een Javaanse vrouw met een waaier in de hand en een kroon op het hoofd c. 1867 - 1910

This photograph of a Javanese woman, holding a fan and wearing a crown, was taken by Kassian Céphas. As a studio portrait, it reflects the artist's mastery of photographic techniques and the sitter's carefully arranged attire. But it also carries significant social weight. Notice how the woman is adorned in elaborate jewelry and traditional clothing, elements of Javanese culture that required skilled craftsmanship to produce. The batik patterns on her skirt, for instance, are evidence of a labor-intensive process involving wax-resist dyeing. Every stage involved time and knowledge. The photograph captures a moment of cultural expression but also hints at broader issues of labor, class, and colonialism. As a Javanese photographer working during the colonial era, Céphas’s work complicates traditional distinctions between art and craft. The photograph not only immortalizes a Javanese woman, but also serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between identity, representation, and power.