Vrouwen van de stam der Bellales op Ceylon maken boter - Jean Covitré

A detailed ink and wash drawing by Jean Covitré documenting traditional butter production by women of the Bellales tribe in 18th-century Ceylon.

This ink and wash drawing by Jean Covitré depicts a scene of daily life in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, during the mid-eighteenth century. The composition focuses on a group of women from the Bellales tribe engaged in the traditional process of butter production. The artist employs a clear, descriptive style, typical of colonial-era documentation intended to record foreign customs for a European audience.

In the foreground, three women are shown in various stages of the task. One pours liquid from a large vessel into a basin, while another works the contents with a wooden implement. The setting is an open-sided structure, providing shelter from the sun, with palm trees and a grazing ox visible in the background. The artist uses wash to create depth and shadow, defining the figures and the simple tools of their trade.

The work is signed by the artist in the lower right corner and includes a handwritten caption at the base, which identifies the subjects and the activity. Such drawings were often produced by travellers or colonial officials to provide visual evidence of life in distant territories. The style is functional rather than decorative, prioritising the clear communication of the activity over artistic flourish. The inclusion of everyday objects, such as baskets and pottery, adds to the documentary quality of the piece. This print offers a view into the historical records of the Dutch East India Company era, capturing a specific moment of cultural observation through a European lens.