Jean, your impression has many facets to it, but basically is grounded on the fact, that even on the new NMVW website, where collections from Leiden, Amsterdam and Rotterdam are thrown together, the identifications of photographs are on quite low standard.
This is a photograph by Isidore van Kinsbergen. In 1865 he visited Bali, or more precisely, Buleleng. He never went to Lombok. Many if not at least a half of the photographs made in Buleleng on the NMVW carry the word Lombok in their "traditional" descriptions: we have a photograph named "Enkele tempels en offerplaatsen op Lombok" (some temples and offering places on Lombok), the alternative title of it being "Huis van den Koning van Bali" (house of the King of Bali), we have a picture described "Edellieden (Ida`s) uit Lombok in hofkostuum" (Aristocrats (Brahmans) from Lombok in court attire), which depict two adwisers of Raja of Buleleng, whose names are actually known, etc.
Also the photograph in question on the NMVW carries the title "Mannen uit Lombok in wapenuitrusting" and alternative title "Balinesen".
It is clear that the descriptions from NMVW website, which are taken over from the old Tropenmuseum website, are not on standard and actually misleading. The source for correct identifications is the monograph about Kinsbergen, which, as I understand, uses Kinsbergen's diarys. Unfortunately the photography in question doesn't appear in the monograph.
Well, there is a possibility these two man are mercenaries from Lombok indeed, but I would say, they are not Sasak but Balinese.
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Alan, thank you.
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