Reproductie van een ontwerp van een bovenkaak van een orang-oetan before 1899

This is a reproduction of a design of an orangutan's upper jaw, created by an anonymous artist. Its existence speaks volumes about the socio-cultural context of scientific exploration and the human desire to classify and understand the natural world. The detailed rendering of the orangutan's jaw invites us to consider the historical views on race and evolution that were prevalent during the time it was made. How was scientific imagery used to perpetuate ideas about the hierarchy of species, and by extension, the hierarchy of human races? This image may have been a tool to reinforce colonial power structures. The clinical depiction might evoke a sense of detachment, yet the very act of studying and reproducing this jaw connects us to the animal on a visceral level. The image of teeth, designed for survival, reminds us of our shared evolutionary origins and challenges the artificial boundaries we construct between ourselves and the animal kingdom. Let’s reflect on the power dynamics inherent in such representations and the stories they tell about who we are and how we relate to the world around us.