-

A quato monkey from Surinam. Tiger dog from Demerary.

Suriname?, 1803?

Watercolour on paper pasted on paper support with handwritten caption in ink. Image 36.8 x 21 cm., sheet 37,5 x 25,5 cm.

Titled by hand in ink at the top and captioned at the foot:

“Cupid, alias Jacko, alias Black Jack, long a successful Chief of the Pilgrim Pantry gang of thieves, - died in chains 1803…
Tom Tiger, a great enemy to monkies, mackaws, and all quaw quaws.”

This allegorical drawing references the political tensions between British-controlled Demerara and Dutch Suriname in 1803, a period of colonial upheaval in the Guianas. The depiction of a red-faced spider monkey (labeled a "quato" or kwatta monkey) from Suriname and a tayra (mislabeled a "tiger dog") from Demerara reflects the contested control over these territories. The work was created from a British perspective, likely to emphasize British dominance and critique Dutch governance.

The Dutch Guianas, comprising Suriname, Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice, were valuable plantation colonies fiercely contested by European powers. After the British temporarily seized Demerara in 1796, it was returned to the Dutch in 1802 under the Peace of Amiens, only to be recaptured by Britain in 1803. This image allegorizes this struggle: the monkey represents Dutch Suriname attempting to steal a captured bird from the tayra, which symbolizes British Demerara.

The monkey, reaching for the tayra's bird, likely signifies Dutch attempts to reclaim resources or influence. The tayra, depicted as aggressive and protective, embodies British control and resistance. The drawing’s annotations may also critique the Dutch use of non-white military personnel, notably the Black Rangers (Zwarte Jagers), who were employed to suppress enslaved uprisings. The reference to “Cupid, alias Jacko” aligns with colonial-era stereotypes of enslaved individuals or maroon leaders, further complicating the political allegory.

Condition: image in very good condition, with paper support slightly browned at the blank margins. Loss at the top-right blank corner and two minor marginal repairs. Slight creases. Pencil notes in the lower-right corner.

Literature:

Buddingh', Hans. De Geschiedenis van Suriname. Uitgeverij Rainbow BV, 2021.

de Groot, Silvia. "Rebellie der Zwarte Jagers. De nasleep van de Bonni-oorlogen 1788-1809." De Gids, vol. 133, no. 9, 1970.

Einaar, J.F.E. Bijdrage tot de Kennis van het Engelsch Tusschenbestuur van Suriname 1804-1816. Dubbeldeman, 1934.