Portret van Charlotte van Braam 1887 - 1898

This photograph captures Charlotte van Braam, immortalized by the camera of Kameke, a painter and photographer of the court. Notice the opulent feathered boa draped across her lap. Feathers, historically, have been emblems of status and power, adorning the headdresses of indigenous leaders and the costumes of royalty. Think of ancient Egyptian deities, such as Ma'at, whose headdress signified truth and cosmic balance. The feathered boa reappears in the roaring twenties as a symbol of feminine allure, and again in contemporary fashion, each time shedding and adopting new layers of cultural meaning. This constant regeneration illustrates the cyclical nature of symbols, continually reborn from the depths of collective memory. The emotional resonance of feathers—evoking flight, freedom, and transformation—endures across time.