Portret van Mami Sim before 1897

Christiaan Johan Neeb made this photograph of Mami Sim, a young woman from Pija, sometime between 1880 and 1920. The image is part of a larger collection of ethnographic portraits, likely commissioned during the Dutch colonial period in Indonesia. Mami Sim stands formally in front of a traditional building. Her clothing and adornments signify cultural identity and perhaps social status. The photograph serves as a visual document of the people and their customs, perpetuating a colonial gaze. It's difficult to ignore the power dynamics at play, with the photographer representing the colonizing force and Mami Sim embodying the colonized. To fully understand this photograph, one would need to research the history of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia. We could also examine the ethnographic practices of the time, delving into the photographer's intentions and the subject's agency. Ultimately, this image prompts us to reflect on the complex relationship between photography, colonialism, and cultural representation.