Buddhist statue

T. Enami’s “Buddha’s Bicycle” Lantern Slide

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[Note: This post was originally published on April 1, 2025] Borobudur displays a unique image of the Buddha riding his favorite bicycle, a symbol of his mastery over the cycle of endless rebirth. Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist monument in Central Java, also depicts bodhisattvas playing basketball and apsaras arm wrestling.


April Fools! In reality, when W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp (1874–1950) arrived in Bali with his bicycle in 1904 to explore, he caused, “real turmoil and panic,” as the Dutchman himself notes in his diary. Soon thereafter, he was immortalized at the Pura Meduwe Karang Temple (not Borobudur) in Bali.

The glass lantern slide was taken by influential Japanese photographer Enami Nobukuni (1859–1929) between 1917 (when the relief was repaired, adding a rear lotus wheel) and 1929 (Enami’s passing). The label of Borobudur – a location also photographed by Enami – is mistaken.

Notably, the relief shows Nieuwenkamp wearing traditional Balinese clothes, creating a fusion of foreign and familiar. For further discussion on this curious relief, see Putra & Abdullah’s “Iconological Analysis of the ‘Man on a Bicycle’ Relief” (2023).

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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William Alexander’s Idol Temple Aquatint Print

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Artist William Alexander (1767–1816) accompanied the first British diplomatic mission to China in 1793 to visually document the embassy’s trip. Eager to be the first Brit to provide wide-ranging eye-witness accounts of China, Alexander’s published works blend fantasy and reality.

After arriving in China and sailing inland routes from Macao to Beijing, Alexander was mostly quarantined to the Summer Palace of the emperor. Alexander’s illustrations sometimes draw heavily upon European chinoiserie imagery, creating idyllic pagoda-filled land

Alexander’s 1805 publication, The Costume of China [sic], was bound pairing images with short explanatory text. It’s notable that while the accompanying image shows a rudimentary Buddhist figure with crossed legs, the text only speaks generically of paganism, idols, and joss houses.

Alexander originally produced sketches and watercolors, but these were rendered into engravings for early publications recounting the British embassy. For The Costume of China, however, the London publisher used colored aquatints, a popular printmaking method at the turn of the 19th century.

As for the “continued biography” of this print, the masking tape indicates it was previously framed. The explanatory text was taped to the back of the image.

The pagoda was one of the most enduring visual icons of China in the European imagination. The crumbling top could indicate the diminishing stature of China in comparison so the growing industrial might and colonial reach of Britain.

Unlike earlier European visitors to China who focused on religion, few of Alexander’s artworks concern this topic, reflecting changing interests. For further discussion of Alexander’s illustrations of China, see Chen Yushu’s “William Alexander’s Image of Qing China” (2019).

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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Ueno Daibutsu after the Great Kantō Earthquake Postcard

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Constructed in 1843, the colossal Ueno Daibutsu in Tokyo was restored after damage from the 1855 Edo earthquake. Less than a century later, in 1923, the Great Kantō earthquake dislodged the icon’s head, providing a rare photographic opportunity.

The bronze statue, representing Śākyamuni Buddha, was the third iteration, replacing statues made in c. 1660 and 1631. The Ueno Daibutsu originally stood on the precincts of Kan’ei-ji 寛永寺, a family temple for the famed Tokugawa clan, but the grounds were turned into today’s Ueno Park in 1873.

The once booming Japanese postcard industry was devastated after the 1923 earthquake, as many paper manufacturers and printers had to rebuild. Postcards made during this period are often found on a cheaper, rough paper prone to yellowing; notably, the back here is not fully printed.

The older exquisite hand-colored collotype prints of a decade earlier were replaced with lower resolution halftone screen prints in black and white. This detail shows the icon’s head laying in the foreground; looking closely, it’s easy to see the hallmark halftone dot pattern.

Vestiges of religious activity can be seen through the remnants of senshafuda 千社札, votive slips pasted on the statue by pilgrims and visitors.

The Ueno Daibutsu body was melted down during WWII, thus today only the face remains on display in Ueno Park. Holding the belief that the statue “won’t fall any further,” it’s become a place for Japanese students to pray so they won’t fail exams.

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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Kamakura Sightseeing Map (1912)

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After the opening Japan in 1859, the old backwater capital of Kamakura was transformed into an international tourist destination. This bilingual tourist map from 1912 (Meiji 45) provides a glimpse into which Kamakura sites were seen as most significant, including the Kamakura Daibutsu.

The Complete Map of Kamakura Famous Places for Sightseeing (Kamakura yūran meisho zenzu 鎌倉遊覧名所全圖), loosely rendered into English as The Drawing of Kamakura Nipoon [sic], came inside a paper folder printed with symbols of the Japanese empire. The map was prepared by Kawakami Yasujirō 川上安次郎.

By the early 1890s, the Kamakura Kaihin Hotel, a converted medical therapy facility for seawater bathing, emerged as the premier resort for Kamakura travelers. In March 1893, the Japanese Welcome Society was established to help promote foreign travel in Japan.

For many Japanese travelers, the main attraction was the Hachiman Shrine, a large complex in the heart of the city found at the end of a long central promenade leading to the ocean. The red dot seen here suggests this site was highlighted by the original owners of the map.

Among the many dozens of sites named on the map, only a handful are marked by a red dot. Of those highlighted is Hase-dera, temple home to a famous 31-foot tall Eleven-Headed Kannon statue.

Another highlighted tourist attraction is the Kamakura Daibutsu at Kōtoku-in, here depicted by a small, yet easily identifiable, icon. For a digitized collection of Japanese maps held by the C. V. Starr East Asian Library at UC Berkeley, see tinyurl.com/yutj576z.

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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Used Postcard with Kamakura Daibutsu Dimensions

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In 2025, seven of the top ten tallest freestanding statues in the world are Buddhist figures (as well as 31 of the top 50). The colossal size of Buddhist statuary is nothing new; foreign travelers in Asia have often noted this fact, as we see in this postcard message from 1906.

Used postcards are valuable because they reveal which aspects of the Kamakura Daibutsu site in Japan were more salient to visitors. The exact measurements given here were not taken on site by the visitor, but were likely copied from one of the popular Japan tourism guides.

The reverse gives us some insight into the “extended biography” of the postcard after its departure from Tokyo. Notably, the missing postage stamp suggests it was prized by a philatelist – a stamp collector.

The focus on the size, craftsmanship, and materials of the statue minimize the religious importance of such an icon and highlight its value as fine art.

Teaching Resource: For a brief introduction to material analysis that uses this postcard as an example, see the post and handout: Making Materials Speak: Performing a Material Analysis, viewable here: tinyurl.com/nhhuh4nk.

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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Herbert Ponting’s Shwethalyaung Sleeping Buddha Stereoview

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This colossal Sleeping Buddha was lost to the jungle when the Burmese city of Bago fell to invading forces in 1757. The statue was recovered in 1881 after railroad workers began digging through a tree-covered mound looking for scrap stone.

At 55 meters (180 ft) long and 16 meters (52 ft) high at the shoulder, the Shwethalyaung Buddha is among the largest reclining Buddha statues ever constructed. Made of brick and stucco, it is believed to have been built in the late tenth century under the patronage of a local king.

This stereograph was taken by Herbert Ponting who had returned from Manchuria after photographing the Russo-Japan War for publisher H. C. White.

Ponting had an expert eye; his placement of the man in the foreground produces a strong three-dimensional depth effect when viewed stereoscopically.

An earlier photograph of the Shwethalyaung Sleeping Buddha before decoration was published in Julius Smith’s Ten Years in Burma from 1902, viewable here: tinyurl.com/5n85dsxn.

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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Ruth St. Denis as Guanyin Tri-Fold Brochure

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Ruth St. Denis, a pioneer of American modern dance, was among many performers interested in translating the static aesthetic of Greek statuary into motion. St. Denis set herself apart from her contemporaries by focusing on icons of the East, including the Chinese Buddhist goddess Guanyin.

This tri-fold brochure was made for the highly successful 1922–1925 tour under the prestigious impresario Daniel Mayer. St. Denis created her solo “Kuan yin” performance in 1919 using a chiffon robes and a crown to imitate the iconography of Guanyin.

St. Denis toured with her partner, Ted Shawn, who together created the Denishawn School of dance in 1915. The troupe performed both solo and large spectacle pieces and appeared in D. W. Griffith’s 1916 film, Intolerance.

During the Mayer tour, St. Denis performed the “Kuan Yin” piece as the opening act, considering it an “invocation.” The performance involved decorative poses using rhythmic manipulations of drapery and sculptural positioning of her hands, arms, and legs.

After touring Asia in 1926, St. Denis reused her Guanyin guise in a new act named “White Jade.” For further exploration, see Jon Soriano’s “Ruth St. Denis as Bodhisattva: An Art Historical Perspective on the Appropriation of Buddhist Imagery” in Water Moon Reflections (2021).

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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D.A. Ahuja’s Kyauktawgyi Icon

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Carved from a single giant marble slab, the Burmese Kyauktawgyi icon stands at a height of 26 feet. Over the span of two weeks the slab was moved from Sagyin quarry to Mandalay Hill and after more than two years of carving the image was consecrated in 1865.

This vibrant postcard was published by Rangoon-based D. A. Ahuja (c.1865–c.1939). The print used a lithographic-halftone hybrid process, first applying color with a lithographic substrate and then applying a black halftone screen; only the final key plate carried the fine detail.

The stamp box informs us this card was printed in Germany, which by the early 20th century was the center of postcard printing worldwide. By 1910, the approximate date of this card, Ahuja was among the most commercially successful postcard publishers during the period of British colonial rule.

The icon was commissioned by King Mindon and depicts the Buddha touching the ground with his right hand, symbolizing his defeat Māra. This gives rise to the formal name of the statue, Mahāsakyamārajina, or the Great Sakya Conqueror of Māra.

The original photo of the marble statue was likely licensed by Ahuja for publication. A copy of the original photograph can found in an album held by the Rijksmuseum, viewable here: tinyurl.com/4pfrhmc6.

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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Arnoldus Montanus’ Great Buddha of Hōkō-ji Engraving

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In 1649, while traveling from Nagasaki to Edo (modern Tokyo), the visiting Dutch Embassy made an obligatory stop in Kyoto where they saw the Great Buddha of Hōkō-ji. The Great Buddha stood nearly 60 feet tall and was completed in 1612, replacing an older destroyed icon.

The original Dutch report by Andries Frisius was eventually published by Arnoldus Montanus in 1669 as part of his Atlas Japannensis. Based in part on the report of Frisius, the printer, Jacob van Meurs, had a large copperplate engraving made to illustrate the embassy’s visit.

The temple icon was Vairocana Buddha which was described by Montanus as a “terrible Image… with his Legs across under him.” Furthermore, “the whole statue represents a Woman sitting in a Ring of Darting beams richly gilded.”

Van Meurs’ engravers seemingly took inspiration from the text, but also had to draw upon their own visual repertoire to fill in details. This includes the masonry columns in the back of the temple as well as playful cherub-like figures in the “Ring of Darting beams.”

“Two horrible Fiends, with Stiletto’s in their hands” – certainly the fearsome Niō – are described a guarding the temple entrance. The engraver places these grotesque figures inside the main temple hall.

Atlas Japannensis was first published in Dutch in 1669; an English version came the following year. The hand-colored print shown here came from the French edition of 1680. As noted by Isa van Eeghen, the English legend was burnished off of the plate and re-inscribed in French.

By the time of printing, the colossal Buddha of Hōkō-ji had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1662; a wooden image replaced it in 1667. The 1669 Dutch edition of Atlas Japannensis has been digitized by the National Library of the Netherlands, viewable here: tinyurl.com/5n6kstfy.

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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World Wide Magazine 1938 Laughing Buddha Cover

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Founded in 1898, the Wide World Magazine was “devoted to romance of travel, adventure, and exploration.” Stories were promoted as “true in every detail” and submissions required a written statement by the author to this effect (they were, of course, not true).

Over 150 pulp magazine titles were sold in the 1930s, thus striking cover art was critical for newsstand sales. The cover here depicts a brightly colored green-skinned Laughing Buddha statue

The cover story of June 1938 issue contained a report provided by one “Dennis Blake of Rangoon, Burma,” concerning the curious effects of Buddhist images.

In this report, two small Chinese Laughing Buddha statues were believed to either cause blessings or misfortune to its owners. The artwork by Kenneth Inns shows a statue about to be broken against the wall.

The stories are resolved when we are told that gifted Buddhist statues bring luck, while purchased Buddhist statues bring misfortune!

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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