postcard

Hand-Colored Daibutsu Postcard Comparison

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

The US postal service delivered over 900 million postcards on the eve of WWI. In Japan, that number was 1.5 billion. Despite nearly doubling the total number of cards mailed, many Japanese picture postcards were also rather unique – they were individually hand painted.

As far as we can tell, a template card was painted by a specialist before it was sent out with dozens of plain cards to colorists, many of whom were women. At times you can find more notable coloring discrepancies between paired images.

Note the differences in the boy’s garments, the open umbrella, the obi-sash, and stone pedestal in the background. It is also possible to see how the washes of color line up imperfectly with the collotype print in black ink.

Due to the temple landscaping around the Kamakura Daibutsu, we know this photograph was likely taken between 1903 and 1910. According to the postal mark, the stamp was cancelled on October 15, 1912 (Taisho 1) and mailed to the United States (thus requiring a 4 sen stamp). We also have a rare publisher’s mark along the edge: James Eades & Co., Yokohama, Japan.

The Kamakura Daibustu was among the most popular tourist destinations in Japan and countless images of the bronze statue were sent as postcards around the world in the early 20th century.

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring the Kamakura Daibutsu:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

World in Boston Missionary Expo Buddhism Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

A Buddhist Object Lesson: Buddhist material culture was critical to the first US missionary exposition in 1911. Called The World In Boston, religious artifacts were employed to help give visitors a realistic glimpse into international missionary life.

An estimated 400,000 people visited the exposition where “Buddhism” comprised a modest court in the Hall of Religions. In contrast to conventional museum exhibits, a single Burmese Buddhist statue was housed in a small building resembling a typical Southeast Asian temple.

Inexpensive halftone printing allowed photographs to be reprinted as picture postcards, a very popular medium of the era. The image on the front bears only a loose resemblance to real Burmese temples found on postcards published by Philipp Klier and D.A. Ahuja.

On-site docents ensured religious icons were understood as props within a missionary narrative of attempting to save debased heathens. The American Baptist Mission in Burma provided some of the objects on display at The World in Boston, possibly even this enshrined Buddha.

For further exploration of the artifacts on display at the 1911 missionary exhibition, see Hasinoff, Erin L. Faith in Objects American Missionary Expositions in the Early Twentieth Century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring Expositions:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

D.A. Ahuja’s Buddhist Priests Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

Buddhists & the British Crown: When Ceylon became a colony in 1815, the first Buddhist monks became subjects of the Crown. Burmese monks were added to their ranks in 1885. Victorian reports said the total Buddhist population was 500 million, nearly 40% of the global population.

British newspapers of the time printed engravings of the expanding empire, often focusing on exotic architecture and the clothes and customs of new subjects. The shaven heads and golden robes of Burmese monks, called poongyis in the press, garnered some of this attention.

Consequently, when D. A. Ahuja (c.1865–c. 1939) started publishing colorized postcards of Burma, monks dressed in colorful robes were a popular theme. This is card is a German lithographic-halftone print published circa 1910.

The popular press often described Burmese monks as indolent, but never-the-less kind-hearted. While Ahuja’s licensed photograph (taken by Philip Klier) seems to depict monks at rest on the stairs of a temple, it’s noteworthy one studious monk holds a notebook and pencil.

For further reflections on how Burmese Buddhism was represented in Victorian mass media, see Eiben, Emily Rose. “Representing Buddhism in British Media and Popular Culture, 1875-1895.” Ph.D dissertation, Ludwig Maximilian University, 2016

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring Historical Postcards:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

Korea’s Eunjin Mireuk Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

Colonized Korean Landscapes: This statue, known as Eunjin Mireuk 恩津彌勒, is on the grounds of Gwanchoksa Temple in South Korea. At just over 18 meters (60 feet), it is the tallest Buddhist statue in Korea.

During the Korean colonial period (1910–1945) postcards were made by various Japanese entities. One of the largest private publishers was Taishō Shashin Kōgeisho, headquartered in Wakayama (see logo in stamp box). The design tells us this card was printed between 1933 and 1945.

Hyung Gu Lynn has argued that images of Japan’s colonies were often depicted as backwards or in stasis. This included depicting rural villages and ancient historical locations. Does this Japanese postcard fit into this discourse?

The name “Mireuk” points to the bodhisattva Maitreya. The hands on this statue, however, are suggestive of an East Asian Guanyin. The Eunjin Mireuk is example of early Goryeo era (918–1392) sculpture and reflects an unusual regional style.

A photo was taken of this statue by US navy officer George Clayton Foulk in the mid-1880s. It has been digitized by the Library of Congress and can be viewed here: https://tinyurl.com/bdh7pwvc.

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring Historical Buddhist Statues:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

Fresno Japanese Buddhist Temple Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

First Buddhist Temple Constructed on Mainland US: Two Japanese Buddhist temples were dedicated in San Francisco and Sacramento by 1900, but these were old converted residences. The Fresno temple was the first constructed to primarily function as a Buddhist temple.

The Fresno Buddhist Church was designed by the Japanese immigrant Kuninosuke Masumizu (1849-1915), a temple and shrine architect. The three-story wood structure was built on 1340 Kern Street and opened April 8, 1902. Construction continued through 1904.

This postcard is one of a few remaining photographs of the original building, it burned down in 1919. This card was postmarked in 1908 and was printed in Germany, the leader in photomechanical postcard printing of the era.

Reports describe the temple as having a Japanese style. In truth, the style is rather hybrid, with upward sloping eaves on the roof and a temple-style gate for the front porch. Overall, however, the building could easily blend into the residential architecture of the period.

The Fresno Buddhist Church was rebuilt in 1920. This building was sold in 2018 to local Burmese Americans and is now the Mrauk Oo Dhamma Center. The Japanese Jōdo Shinshū congregation built a new temple that opened in 2022.

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring the United States:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

Singapore Buddhist Hell Guardian Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

Unknown “Chinese” Temple: By the mid-to-late 19th century, the term “joss” typically referred to venerated Chinese religious icons. Here we see the term used to identify statues of Buddhist hell guardians. These figures are not typically the center of veneration in temples.

Moreover, the statues are positioned in front of murals depicting the Buddhist Ten Courts of Hell. Chinese Buddhist hell is viewed as an administrative center for the underworld where the dead are judged for their deeds in life.

The location is an unidentified Chinese Temple. Real photo post cards with similar reverse designs depict temples from Singapore; it is possible this is one of several “Chinese temples” from that area at the turn of the 20th century.

This photographic card likely dates to the 1920s. (I have seen a used version of this card hand-dated to 1930).

The National Archives of Singapore has a good selection of digitized photographs showing various Chinese Temples, available here: https://tinyurl.com/mr9nwcep.

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring Historical Real Photo Post Cards:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

D.A. Ahuja’s Arakan Mahāmuni Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

An image consecrated by the Buddha himself? The Mahāmuni image is among the most venerated in Burma. According to myth, the statue was cast during the lifetime of the Buddha and was “enlivened” to act as counsel to kings in the Buddha’s absence.

Originating in the coastal region of Arakan, the statue was moved to Upper Burma, into present-day Mandalay, at the turn of the 19th century.

The colorful postcard is a German lithographic-halftone print published by D. A. Ahuja circa 1910. Postcards emerged as highly valued souvenirs during the period of British colonial rule and helped spread knowledge of Buddhist material culture into the West.

The brass statue depicts the moment when the Buddha calls upon the earth to testify to his generosity and to defeat Mara; this is symbolized by his right hand touching the ground.

Over 12 feet in height, the image is topped by a crown – typical of the Jambupati style – and is intended to display the grandeur of the Buddha and his message.

F

or more on a Burmese Buddhist statue in a similar style, see the Asian Art Museum website here: https://tinyurl.com/mpvxn8j9.

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring the Historical Buddha / Gautama:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

Ueno Daibutsu Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

Only the face of the Ueno Daibutsu remains in Tokyo’s Ueno Park. Toppled during the 1923 Kantō earthquake, the salvaged body was eventually melted down during the Pacific War.


Picture postcards are some of the only remaining images of the intact statue. This plain design on the reverse reveals the print was made prior to 1907.

Q&A) Note, there is no address on the reverse…so why is there a cancelled stamp on the obverse?

The caption style is strongly reminiscent of the professional Japanese tourist photography trade that grew steadily thorough the 1890s. Contemporary databases do not currently link this stock number and location with a known photographer.


Ueno Park is celebrated for its spring cherry blossoms, highlighted here by the hand-colorist who painted the trees pink. Q&A) The stamp and cancellation on the front suggest this card was intended for display in a postcard album.

After many years in storage in the nearby temple, the Daibutsu face was displayed in 1972 on the site of the original statue.

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring Japan:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

Hamburg–American Cruise Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

The first regular around-the-world commercial cruises began in the early 1920s. The Great Buddha of Kamakura was an iconic stop on the long sea passage; its international stature as a tourist destination was equivalent to the Taj Mahal and the Sphinx.

Within a decade, circumnavigation of the globe by passenger liner transformed into a stalwart luxury industry. The Hamburg–American Line was one of the main companies in the inter-war period.

Passengers kept family or friends abreast of their travels by having postcards automatically sent from ocean liner offices around the world. Here we see notification of the Resolute arriving in the ports of Japan on April 24, 1934. Tours through Nikko and Kamakura are noted.

The photograph printed here depicts a seemingly orchestrated scene that highlights the foreignness and apparent piousness of the Japanese.

The travel and souvenir journal of Eleanor Phelps, who embarked on the inaugural American Express Co. cruise around the world in 1922, is held by the University of South Carolina, viewable here: https://tinyurl.com/avt4xt2p.

Additional Archived Posts for the Buddhas in the West Project

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring the Kamakura Daibutsu:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts:

Hyōgo Daibutsu Vignette Postcard

For all the new Buddhas in the West posts
follow us on Bluesky & Instagram

The original Hyōgo Daibutsu 兵庫大仏 was dismantled as part of Japanese war efforts during WWII. It was motivated by the Ordinance on the Collection of Metals issued in 1941. At the time, it was the third largest Buddhist statue in Japan.

Constructed in 1891, photographs of the Hyōgo Daibutsu were often printed on Japanese postcards of the era. Based on the design on the back of this card we know it was published before 1907.


The blank space on the front of this card was intended for the written message. The reverse was saved for the address only.


This card is uncommon because it combines a collotype print with an added pink cherry blossom frame. The angular band of discoloration on the corner reveals it was stored in a postcard album.


Most photographic Japanese post cards of this period were individually hand-painted. This continued into the 1910s until multi-color printing became more commonplace.

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.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring Historical Postcards:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts: