Batik, Sifting Rice & Women Working – Antique Photogravure of Batak People c.1900
An exceptional original photogravure from circa 1900, published by the renowned studio G.R. Lambert & Co., depicting women of the Batak ethnic group of North Sumatra in various aspects of daily life. This rare multi-image plate brings together three scenes in one composition:
• A Batak woman wearing a traditional wrap garment • A woman winnowing rice with a flat tray • A remarkable group scene of Batak women pounding rice using long wooden pestles in a raised wooden trough
These photographs were taken during the colonial period when North Sumatra experienced dramatic economic and cultural shifts due to plantation development. The Batak communities shown here still lived within deep forest culture, and this plate represents an important ethnographic record of clothing, tools, and agricultural practice before modernization.
Richly printed with excellent tonal range, the image reveals fine detail in faces, textile folds, and tropical surroundings, offering significant social-historical interest for collectors of Southeast Asian heritage and early anthropology photography.
Printed on thick wove paper and steam-pressed in photogravure — the highest quality reproductive printing technique of the era — prized for its depth and permanence.
A striking piece suitable for framing and display in cultural or academic settings.
Condition: Very good for age. Paper shows the usual scattered foxing and light age toning in the margins. Image area clean with only minor handling marks. Wide original margins present. No tears or repairs.
Framing Tips: A warm off-white or ivory mat with a dark wood or teak frame complements the subject and era beautifully. For a more museum-style presentation, choose a thin black frame with UV-protective glazing.
Technique: Photogravure Maker: G.R. Lambert & Co., Medan / Singapore, c.1900 Origin: North Sumatra, Indonesia
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