Comorian Woman Demonstrating A Resistant Look — J. B. Coutinho And Felix Coutinho

Comorian Woman Demonstrating a Resistant Look


j. b. coutinho and felix coutinho (1905)

Discover the pioneering Coutinho Brothers Studio, early East African photographers from Zanzibar. Their historic images capture Swahili culture, colonial history, and portraits of Comorian women, vital for cultural preservation.

National Museum of African Art (Washington, D.C., United States of America)

Discover the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. Explore 9,000+ traditional and contemporary African artworks, sculptures, masks, and photos. A premier destination for African art and culture.

Comorian Woman Demonstrating a Resistant LookPhotographer unknownAlbumen printZanzibar, c. 1890One of three photographs from the Coutinho Brothers studio show women reflecting distinct and different engagements with the photographer and each other. Alternately resistant, playful, and decorous, this range of interactions leaves a complex and ambiguous photographic record. References from the albums in which they were collected suggest two may represent Comorian women, likely referencing the long chemise and trousers and the stylish kanga.