Three of Sri Tung Bahadur's Favorite Wives and His Youngest Son
1870
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1870
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see three women in big, ruffled skirts and a little boy in a suit, all posed stiffly against a plain background. The women wear shawls and jewelry, but their clothes mix Nepali style with European puffed sleeves and lace. This photo was taken in Nepal around 1870, when the country’s leader was copying English government ideas. He liked European fashion too, so his wives wore these mixed-outfit looks. It’s a quiet record of how two cultures met. If you want to see more photos from this studio, look up Bourne & Shepherd (British, active India, 1868–2016).
