Portret van Jamul Khan, een hoofd van de Dombki-stam before 1872

This is a portrait of Jamul Khan, a chief of the Dombki tribe, made by Henry Charles Baskerville Tanner. The photograph captures Khan seated, holding what appears to be a shield, with a rifle standing beside him. Tanner’s work exists within the context of 19th-century colonial photography, where the camera was often used as a tool to document and categorize colonized populations. Images like this one were often used to reinforce Western perceptions and power structures. Consider how Khan is presented, with the trappings of leadership and weaponry, within the gaze and framing of the colonial photographer. What does it mean to have one's identity captured and then disseminated through a colonial lens? This image serves as both a historical record and a reminder of the complexities and power dynamics inherent in cross-cultural representation.