Underwood’s Four Seated Buddhas of Bago Stereoview

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For nearly six centuries the four seated Buddhas of Bago have towered over the surrounding Burmese countryside. Constructed by the former Buddhist monk turned king, Dhammazedi, in 1476, the four colossal statues represent the four Buddhas of the past.

The Kyaikpun, as this site is known, also houses a relic chamber beneath the central rectangular pillar. Under Mon control, Bago served as a vital regional entrepôt and thriving hub of Theravada Buddhism with many shrines and monasteries.

This stereoview was part of the educational Underwood Stereoscopic Tour series from 1907, comprised of national sets with individual cards arranged as “a tourist might visit the actual scenes.” The Burma set was originally sold with fifty different views (this card is number 12).

The structure, which is over 90 ft. (27m) tall, was in near ruin by the 1890s, but local fundraising was able to repair the statues by the turn of the century. This stereoview, taken around 1905, still shows the remnants of rubble and scaffolding in the rear.

The Buddha facing north, representing Gautama Buddha, remained in the best condition, thus the other three statues were reputedly modeled after it during renovation. To see thirty-six views from Underwood’s Burma series held by the National Archives UK, visit tinyurl.com/3xwvkbsb.

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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