Untitled 19th-20th century

This hand-colored albumen print presents a staged scene of Japanese women during the late 19th century, a period of significant cultural exchange and Western interest in Japan. The photograph captures a constructed vision of Japanese domesticity. It reflects the Western gaze and the exoticization of Japanese culture. Here, the women are arranged as if to embody traditional roles: the preparation of tea, the playing of music, the nurturing of children. Yet, this representation is also complicated by the anonymity of the photographer, highlighting the power dynamics inherent in the act of representation itself. What we are witnessing is not necessarily a documentary truth, but a performance. This allows us to consider the tensions between identity and representation and to reflect on how cultural narratives are constructed and consumed. It invites us to consider what is gained, lost, or transformed in these acts of cultural translation.