Pakoe Boewono IX, Susuhunan van Surakarta met zijn echtgenote Ratoe 1868 - 1872

Woodbury & Page made this photograph of Pakoe Boewono IX, Susuhunan van Surakarta, and his wife Ratoe. It's a modest object, just millimeters in size, made from paper and photographic chemicals. What I find fascinating here is the contrast between the industrialized process of photography, and the labor-intensive fabrics that this royal couple is wearing. Look closely, and you’ll see the intricate batik patterns of their clothing. The cloth was likely made using traditional methods involving wax-resist dyeing, a process that could take weeks or even months to complete. These textiles are not merely decorative. They are a potent symbol of status, tradition, and cultural identity, communicating the values of the Javanese courts. But here they are, immortalized in a distinctly modern medium, offered to us as a commodity available for circulation. This photograph invites us to think about the complex interplay between tradition and modernity, manual craft and industrial production, and the ways in which photography both documents and transforms the world around us.