Termination of coping at Maha Sen's palace 1896

"Termination of coping at Maha Sen's palace" is a black and white photograph of the detail of Sinhalese architecture, taken by Henry William Cave, sometime between 1854 and 1913. Cave's photographs offer us a glimpse into a colonial perspective, framing the architecture of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, through the lens of the British Empire. Consider the act of photographing itself as an assertion of power, capturing and documenting a culture different from his own. The image depicts squatting dwarfs that appear to be supporting the tread. What does it mean to see these figures, adorned with jewelry, rendered as structural supports? It raises questions about representation, and the narratives we construct around labor, beauty, and cultural identity. This image encapsulates the complex interplay between observer and observed, challenging us to consider the power dynamics inherent in the act of looking and documenting.