Her Highness, the Behum Secunder, India, from the Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs and Rulers series (N189) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1888

This small print by William S. Kimball & Co., part of a series on “Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs and Rulers,” depicts Her Highness, the Behum Secunder of India. The most striking element is surely the ornate headdress, adorned with jewels and plumes, which speaks of power and status. Consider the feather, a motif resonant through time. In ancient Egypt, the feather symbolized truth and justice, seen in depictions of Ma'at, the goddess of cosmic order. Here, the feather’s presence might suggest an association with similar virtues or simply denote nobility. Yet, its appropriation here by a Western publisher raises questions about cultural understanding and the exoticization of foreign rulers. The jewels, too, have a story. Across cultures, they symbolize wealth and power, but also carry spiritual significance, believed to offer protection or enlightenment. Notice how the jewels are made to look exotic, a testament to a cultural memory that has subconsciously shaped the perception of this image.