Decoratieve patronen uit Port Harcourt c. 1916 - 1945

This is a sketch of decorative patterns from Port Harcourt by Reijer Stolk. Stolk, who died in 1945, made this sketch at a time when European artists were deeply engaged with representing non-Western cultures, sometimes problematically. Consider the context: during Stolk's lifetime, European colonialism was at its peak. Port Harcourt, Nigeria, was a site of British colonial presence, extracted resources, and exerted political control. In this sketch, what does it mean for a European artist to document "decorative patterns" from a Nigerian city? The act of sketching and labeling local designs could be seen as a form of appropriation, separating cultural objects from their original context and reducing them to mere aesthetic elements. While Stolk's intentions remain ambiguous, his work invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in cross-cultural representation. What stories are told, and whose voices are amplified or silenced in the process? The sketch also offers a glimpse into the visual culture of Port Harcourt during this period.