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In the 1880s Puck was America’s premier satire magazine, but the publication stood out for another reason: it was among the first periodicals to use chromolithographic printing. Puck was founded by Joseph Keppler who was also a main artist – his work from 1888 is seen here.
The political commentary draws upon the old trope of “crafty priests” stealing from pious believers.
The visual trope, however, uses more recently circulating popular imagery of a cross-legged multi-arm idol. The traditional Biblical imagery of the golden calf has replaced by a stereotyped golden Asian icon. Moreover, the facial features are exaggerated to look more grotesque.
A large collection of Puck political cartoons has been digitized by the Library of Congress, viewable here: https://tinyurl.com/ycde4xtc.
The Buddhas in the West Material Archive is a digital scholarship project that catalogues artifacts depicting Buddhist material culture for Western audiences. It’s comprised of prints, photos, and an assortment of ephemera and other objects. For a brief introduction to this archive, visit the main Buddhas in the West project page.
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Personal Site of Peter Romaskiewicz 