This archive of social media posts highlights the different ways Buddhist material culture has been represented in various media from the end of the seventeenth through the early twentieth century. Through engravings, photographs, postcards, and other visual sources, we may trace how Buddhist objects and imagery were encountered, displayed, and interpreted in the West.
Each social media installment functions as a micro-study, providing essential historical context or material analysis for a single artifact. You may also scroll to the bottom of the page to explore entries by thematic tags.
1. Johannes Nieuhof’s Temple Interior Engraving [1666]2. Shimooka Renjō’s Daibutsu Carte-de-visite [1871]3. Postcard from the Old Shinkōji Daibutsu [1910s]4. Kannon Hase-dera Talisman [1880s?]5. Greta Garbo’s Guanyin in The Painted Veil (1934)6. D.A. Ahuja’s Postcard Buddhas [1910s]7. Herbert Ponting’s Nichiren Priest Stereoview [1906]8. Hyōgo Daibutsu Vignette Postcard [c.1907]9. Arbuckle Bros. Coffee Japan Advertising Card [1891]10. Hamburg–American Cruise Postcard [1934]11. Ueno Daibutsu Postcard [1903]12. Bamiyan Buddha Saturday Magazine Print [1836]13. Jerome Camp Amida Shrine News Photograph [1940s]14. Mott Street Laughing Buddha Postcard [1940s?]15. Olfert Dapper’s Formosan Buddha Engraving [1674]16. Rose and Pollack’s Buddha Foxtrot Sheet Music [1919]17. D.A. Ahuja’s Arakan Mahāmuni Postcard [1910s]18. Andrew Marton’s Storm Over Tibet (1952) Icon19. Henry Strohmeyer’s Jizō Statues Stereoview [1896]20. Singapore Buddhist Hell Guardian Postcard [1920s?]21. Lambert and Butler’s Kamakura Daibutsu Cigarette Card [1905]22. Fresno Japanese Buddhist Temple Postcard [1908]23. Paul Frenzeny’s Chinese Temple Print [1873]24. Pierrot’s “Prisonnier dans la pagode” Magazine [1933]25. Auguste Wahlen’s “Bonzes chinois” Engraving [1843]26. Korea’s Eunjin Mireuk Postcard [1930s?]27. Baron Raimund von Stillfried’s Daibutsu Carte de visite [1870s]28. American Express Daibutsu Advertisement [1923]29. D.A. Ahuja’s Buddhist Priests Postcard [1910s]30. The Cheat (1923) Production Photograph31. Keystone’s Nara Kokūzō Stereoview [1901]32. World in Boston Missionary Expo Buddhism Postcard [1911]33. Argosy’s Jungle Justice Pulp Magazine Cover [1930]34. Liebig’s Komusō Advertising Card [1905]35. Hand-Colored Daibutsu Postcard Comparison [1910s]36. 1876 Centennial Ivory Pagoda Print36. Paris’ Panorama du Tour du Monde Advertising Card [1900]38. Vantine’s Buddha Sandalwood Incense Tin [1920s]39. A.W. Plâté’s Reliquary Offering Postcard [1900s]40. Daibutsu and Tour Group Glass Lantern Slide [c.1910]41. Thomas Allom’s Sticks of Fate Engraving [1843]42. D.A. Ahuja’s Idol Maker Postcard [1910s]43. Albumen Photograph of Sanjūsangen-dō Kannon [1880s]44. Anna Eva Faye’s Śiva Mascot Token [1900s]45. Tooth of the Buddha Reliquary Postcard [c.1902]46. Marguerite Courtot c. 1920 Studio Portrait47. Herbert Ponting’s Japanese Pilgrims near Lake Kawaguchi Stereoview [1904]48. Pierre Dieulefils’ Angkor Wat Buddhapada Postcard [1900s]49. Liebig’s Chinese Buddha Advertising Card [1905]50. Fritz Müller’s Tin How Temple Postcard [c.1907]51. Hyōgo Daibutsu at Kobe F.S. Postcard [c.1907]52. Joseph Keppler’s Crafty Priests Puck Magazine Cover [1888]53. Alain Mallet’s Porcelain Pagoda of Baoen Temple Engraving [1683]54. George Planté’s Hall of a Thousand Buddhas Postcard [c.1905]55. Adolfo Farsari’s Kamakura Daibutsu Photograph [1887]56. 1933 Golden Pavilion Laughing Buddha Playing Card57. D.A. Ahuja’s Buddhist Priest Portrait Postcard [1901s]58. Wall Street Mystery (1920) Promotional Handbook59. 1904 Metropolitan Series “Japanese Pagoda” Stereoview60. Pierre Dieulefils’ Tārā Postcard [1900s]61. Chocolat Pupier’s Kinkaku-ji Trade Card [1936]62. Pacific Curio Shop Niō Statue Postcard [1950s?]63. George Planté’s Ruins of Ankgor Postcard [c.1905]64. Alain Mallet’s Dalai Lama Engraving [1683]65. Hakone Pass Jizō Magic Lantern Slide [1910s?]66. Wa Lum (Hualin) Temple 500 Arhats Hall Postcard [c.1910]67. Tamamura Kōzaburō’s Hyōgo Vairocana Photograph [1890s]68. World Wide Magazine 1938 Laughing Buddha Cover69. Arnoldus Montanus’ Great Buddha of Hōkō-ji Engraving [1680]70. D.A. Ahuja’s Kyauktawgyi Icon Postcard [1910s]71. Ruth St. Denis as Guanyin Tri-Fold Brochure [1920s]72. The “Dancing Lamas” and Epic of Everest (1924) Prologue Newspaper Illustration73. Herbert Ponting’s Shwethalyaung Sleeping Buddha Stereoview [1907]74. Used Postcard with Kamakura Daibutsu Dimensions [1906]75. Liebig Dalai Lama Advertising Card [1935]76. Pierre Dieulefils’ Angkor Wat Pilgrimage Postcard [1900s]77. Kamakura Sightseeing Map (1912)78. Ueno Daibutsu after the Great Kantō Earthquake Postcard [1923]79. William Alexander’s Idol Temple Aquatint Print [1805]80. T. Enami’s “Buddha’s Bicycle” Lantern Slide [1920s]81. Joseph Rock’s Photographs of Zhouni (Choni) Monastery [1928]82. Kūkai’s Jizō at Hakone Postcard [1930s]83. D.A. Ahuja’s Kaunghmudaw Pagoda Postcard [1910]84. 1922 French Colonial Exposition Angkor Wat Replica Postcard85. Guanyin Icon in The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)86. Bourne and Shepherd’s “Native of Thibet” Postcard [1900s]87. Underwood’s Four Seated Buddhas of Bago Stereoview [1907]88. Chocolat Pupier’s “Le Japon ancien” Trade Card [1936]89. T. Enami’s Sanjūsangen-dō Lantern Slide [1920s]90. Pierre Dieulefils’ Tien Mu Temple Postcard [1900s]91. Harper’s 1871 “Joss House” Print92. Olfert Dapper’s “The Idoll Sechia” Engraving [1674]93. Eastman Kodak European Tour Group Real Photo Postcard [c.1910]94. Wilhelm Burger’s Kamakura Daibutsu Photograph [1870]95. Fresno’s “Joss House” Press Photograph [1960]96. Buddhist Temple of Los Angeles Postcard [1910s]97. Chinatown’s Tin How Temple / Grass Valley Temple Real Photo Postcard [1930s?]98. James Ricalton’s Priest at the Temple of the Tooth [1903]99. Sherab Gyatso of Ghoom Monastery Postcard [1910s]100. Arnoldus Montanus’ Icon with Thirty Arms Engraving [1669]101. Eliphalet Brown’s Buddhist Priest at Shimoda Lithograph [1856]102. Nipponophone’s Moving Buddha Advertising Postcard [1910s]103. Felice Beato’s Kichizo Jizō Photograph [1860s]104. Dreamland’s Japanese Tea Garden Pagoda Postcard [1912]105. Philip Klier’s “Scene on the Shwe Dagon Pagoda” Postcard [1900s]106. Chinese Buddhist Shrine in The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929)107. Keystone’s Kotte Temple Stereoview [1901]109. Fritz Kapp’s Lamas and Disciples Postcard [1910s]109. Henri Laas’ “Dieu des Amours” Advertising Card [1890s]110. Tamamura Kōzaburō’s Kamakura Daibutsu Photograph For Brinkley’s Japan [1895]111. 1906 French Colonial Exposition Annam Pavilion Postcard112. L’Illustration Photographs of Qiongzhu Temple [1927]113. William Hurd’s “Idol Buddu” Engraving [1790]114. Ueda’s Hyōgo Daibutsu at Kobe Postcard [1908]115. Nikko’s Yashamon “Demon Gate” Photograph [1890s?]116. Postcard of Guanyin at Chicago’s Ling Long Chinese Museum [1933]117. Buddhist Revivalist Hikkaduwe Sumangala Postcard [1900s]118. Captured in Chinatown (1935) Production Photograph119. Benjamin Kilburn’s Buddhist Pilgrims Stereoview [1901]120. P. A. Johnston and Theodor Hoffmann’s Tibetan “Devil Dancers” Postcard [1920s]121. Guérin-Boutron’s Mysteries of Japan Advertising Card [1900s]122. Universal Studio’s Back Lot Buddha Photograph [1929]123. Poujade de Ladevèze’s Arhat Who Reveals His Heart Postcard [1911]124. William Hurd’s Treading on the Crucifix Engraving [1780]125. Sakaeya’s Shinkōji Vairocana Buddha Postcard [1920s]126. Jean Claude White’s Panorama Photograph of Lhasa [1916]127. T. H. McAllister’s Kamakura Daibutsu Lantern Slide [c.1887]128. Bosselman’s Mt. Penn Pagoda Postcard [1910s]129. Postcard of Hunting Party at Chanteloup Pagoda [1910s]130. 1933 Streets of Shanghai Concession Postcard131. Shangri-la in Lost Horizon (1937) Production Photograph132. 1893 Chinese Theater and Joss House Stereoview133. Esaki Reiji’s Pilgrims with Portable Shrine Photograph [1890s]134. Tuck’s Henry Savage Landor Tibetan Lamas Postcard [1905]135. World in Cincinnati Japan Scene Postcard [1911]136. Chinese Idolatry Stock Advertising Card [1880s]137. Puck Magazine’s Benjamin Butler as Joss Buddha Cover [1884]138. Nagoya Railroad’s Shūrakuen Daibutsu Postcard [1930s]139. Kimbei’s Five Hundred Arhats of Zenpō-ji Photograph [1890s]140. 1924 British Empire Exhibition Tibetan Dancers Postcard141. Philip Klier’s Shwedagon Pagoda Postcard [c.1905]142. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) Art Studio Photograph143. Herbert Ponting’s Flute Playing Komusō Stereoview144. Robert Phillips’ “Thibetan Musicians” Postcard 145. Au Bon Marché’s Chinese Idolatry Advertising Card146. Sandringham Laughing Buddha Real Photo Post Card147. Pierre Dieulefils’ Abbot of Marble Mountains Postcard148. Wilhelm Heine’s Whampoa Pagoda Lithograph149. Engraving of John Thomson’s Photograph of Gushan’s Monks150. Tōdai-ji’s Heavenly King Bishamonten Postcard
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Posts are tagged and can be sorted according to media type, country, Buddhist figure, etc. If using a web browser, additional tags can be found in the sidebar.
First Social Media Post: June 11, 2024 (Twitter) 100th Social Media Post: May 19, 2025 [First 100 Objects 100 Stories] 150th Social Media Post: April 2, 2026 Archive Count: 150 archived posts (as of April 7, 2026)
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.
Personal Site of Peter Romaskiewicz 