This 1932 studio portrait depicts a costumed 'royal court' tableau staged for the Manila Carnival, an annual festival held in the American-era Philippines that paired trade expositions with elaborate pageantry. Identified by inscription as 'Her Majesty Emma I, Queen of Mah-Sim' and her consort 'Prince Rha-Nam' (named as Arturo de Santos), the sitters wear fantastical, richly ornamented costumes evoking an invented exotic kingdom, part of the Carnival's tradition of satellite courts accompanying the crowning of the festival's official Queen. Such portraits captured the social prominence of the young Manila residents chosen to participate in this beloved pre-war civic celebration. Project: 218617