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Pierre Dieulefils arrived in Vietnam as part of the French military forces in 1885 and opened a photography studio in Hanoi three years later. In anticipation of the great Exposition coloniale de Marseille, Dieulefils toured Cambodia in 1905 to take photographs of Angkor Wat.

These images of Angkor Wat formed part of his thriving postcard business, driven in part by French officers sending cards home to France. The 1905 print run of cards is known as the red series for the red ink used on the obverse.

One of the objects Dieulefils photographed was this large sculptural footprint of the Buddha. Images of the Buddha’s footprints, called buddhapada, hint at his past presence and are considered venerated relics.

The buddhapada is often depicted with special characteristics, including 108 emblems of auspiciousness. The wheel of the Dharma is most commonly placed at the center of the sole.

This carving, weighing three tons, remained at Angkor Wat from the 14th century until 1985. In 2022 it was put on display at the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum in Siam-reap, Cambodia.

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