Zhang Jie
@zhangjiearthistory.bsky.social
Art History PhD student. NUS, UVA. Erhu player for Teochew opera.
APRIL panel at #AARSBL2025: Encountering Buddha in Museums: Modern Expressions of an Ancient Tradition, Mon Nov 24, 2025, 1–3pm, Marriott Copley Place (5th floor, Maine Room), Boston. papers.aarweb.org/papers-sessi...
November 18, 2025 at 1:02 AM
APRIL panel at #AARSBL2025: Encountering Buddha in Museums: Modern Expressions of an Ancient Tradition, Mon Nov 24, 2025, 1–3pm, Marriott Copley Place (5th floor, Maine Room), Boston. papers.aarweb.org/papers-sessi...
Reposted by Zhang Jie
The circular insert depicts an uncommon two-story pagoda known as the Many Treasures Pagoda (tahōtō) described in the Lotus Sutra.
This illustration shows the one built at Hachiman Shrine which was destroyed in 1870, several decades before this card was issued.
#buddhasinthewest #多宝塔
This illustration shows the one built at Hachiman Shrine which was destroyed in 1870, several decades before this card was issued.
#buddhasinthewest #多宝塔
October 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The circular insert depicts an uncommon two-story pagoda known as the Many Treasures Pagoda (tahōtō) described in the Lotus Sutra.
This illustration shows the one built at Hachiman Shrine which was destroyed in 1870, several decades before this card was issued.
#buddhasinthewest #多宝塔
This illustration shows the one built at Hachiman Shrine which was destroyed in 1870, several decades before this card was issued.
#buddhasinthewest #多宝塔
Reposted by Zhang Jie
The figure in the lower right corner is a crude rendering of a seated buddha.
Pronounced ethnic facial features and flowing silk garments were sometimes used to signify "authentic" Asian religions iconography. 4/5
Pronounced ethnic facial features and flowing silk garments were sometimes used to signify "authentic" Asian religions iconography. 4/5
October 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The figure in the lower right corner is a crude rendering of a seated buddha.
Pronounced ethnic facial features and flowing silk garments were sometimes used to signify "authentic" Asian religions iconography. 4/5
Pronounced ethnic facial features and flowing silk garments were sometimes used to signify "authentic" Asian religions iconography. 4/5
Reposted by Zhang Jie
This use of fumi-e continued until 1858 when it was formally abandoned.
To read a scientific analysis of historical paper-made fumi-e, see Montanari et al., "Kami Fumi-e: Japanese Paper Images to Be Trampled on—A Mystery Resolved" (2025), here: www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/...
#buddhasinthewest
To read a scientific analysis of historical paper-made fumi-e, see Montanari et al., "Kami Fumi-e: Japanese Paper Images to Be Trampled on—A Mystery Resolved" (2025), here: www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/...
#buddhasinthewest
November 3, 2025 at 2:47 PM
This use of fumi-e continued until 1858 when it was formally abandoned.
To read a scientific analysis of historical paper-made fumi-e, see Montanari et al., "Kami Fumi-e: Japanese Paper Images to Be Trampled on—A Mystery Resolved" (2025), here: www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/...
#buddhasinthewest
To read a scientific analysis of historical paper-made fumi-e, see Montanari et al., "Kami Fumi-e: Japanese Paper Images to Be Trampled on—A Mystery Resolved" (2025), here: www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/...
#buddhasinthewest
Reposted by Zhang Jie
@ricciinstitutelib.bsky.social This scroll contains a Qing-period, hand-colored woodblock print titled "Shizi chongxun" 十字寵勳. It offers a fascinating glimpse into cultural exchanges in late 19th-century China and shows Christ on the cross revered by a unified audience of various ethnicities.
November 5, 2025 at 6:36 PM
@ricciinstitutelib.bsky.social This scroll contains a Qing-period, hand-colored woodblock print titled "Shizi chongxun" 十字寵勳. It offers a fascinating glimpse into cultural exchanges in late 19th-century China and shows Christ on the cross revered by a unified audience of various ethnicities.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
Following the success of colonial pavilions at World’s Fairs, France initiated its own independent Colonial Expositions in the 1890s.
In Marseilles in 1906, famous architectural sites from French Indochina were reconstructed, including a towering Buddhist pagoda representing Annam.🧵
🗃️ 📜 #Vietnam
In Marseilles in 1906, famous architectural sites from French Indochina were reconstructed, including a towering Buddhist pagoda representing Annam.🧵
🗃️ 📜 #Vietnam
October 1, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Following the success of colonial pavilions at World’s Fairs, France initiated its own independent Colonial Expositions in the 1890s.
In Marseilles in 1906, famous architectural sites from French Indochina were reconstructed, including a towering Buddhist pagoda representing Annam.🧵
🗃️ 📜 #Vietnam
In Marseilles in 1906, famous architectural sites from French Indochina were reconstructed, including a towering Buddhist pagoda representing Annam.🧵
🗃️ 📜 #Vietnam
Reposted by Zhang Jie
Writing in 1790, William Hurd noted the icons of Ceylon were "fantastic and monstrous," while one, "formed like a giant," was called "Buddu."
The accompanying engraving of the Buddha shows a curious bearded figure with a tall crown and sword held aloft in his right hand.🧵
🗃️ 📜 #SriLanka
The accompanying engraving of the Buddha shows a curious bearded figure with a tall crown and sword held aloft in his right hand.🧵
🗃️ 📜 #SriLanka
October 6, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Writing in 1790, William Hurd noted the icons of Ceylon were "fantastic and monstrous," while one, "formed like a giant," was called "Buddu."
The accompanying engraving of the Buddha shows a curious bearded figure with a tall crown and sword held aloft in his right hand.🧵
🗃️ 📜 #SriLanka
The accompanying engraving of the Buddha shows a curious bearded figure with a tall crown and sword held aloft in his right hand.🧵
🗃️ 📜 #SriLanka
Reposted by Zhang Jie
A few days ago, we shared images of our scroll titled Tiantang yaoli 天堂要理. We've since done more research and revised the date to 1937. Our scroll is related to a painting currently held in Belgium and reproduced by Jeroom Heyndrickx in his study of it. Full citation in the alt-text.
October 22, 2025 at 8:49 PM
A few days ago, we shared images of our scroll titled Tiantang yaoli 天堂要理. We've since done more research and revised the date to 1937. Our scroll is related to a painting currently held in Belgium and reproduced by Jeroom Heyndrickx in his study of it. Full citation in the alt-text.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
A polychrome paper scroll titled Tiantang yaoli 天堂要理 (Essential principles of Heaven). It presents a Catholic narrative of human history, with a "good path" (shandao 善道) leading to Heaven (via Purgatory) and an "evil path" (edao 惡道) leading to Hell. The scroll probably dates from 1929.
October 20, 2025 at 3:06 PM
A polychrome paper scroll titled Tiantang yaoli 天堂要理 (Essential principles of Heaven). It presents a Catholic narrative of human history, with a "good path" (shandao 善道) leading to Heaven (via Purgatory) and an "evil path" (edao 惡道) leading to Hell. The scroll probably dates from 1929.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
Details from two illustrations in Shengjiao xiangshuo 聖教像說 [Images and explanations of the holy teaching] (web.bc.edu/ricci/indexT...), a Catholic publication with Qing-period origins. Clothing in the book appears to reflect Republican fashion. We thus conjecture that it was published after 1911.
October 2, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Details from two illustrations in Shengjiao xiangshuo 聖教像說 [Images and explanations of the holy teaching] (web.bc.edu/ricci/indexT...), a Catholic publication with Qing-period origins. Clothing in the book appears to reflect Republican fashion. We thus conjecture that it was published after 1911.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
The Ling Long Chinese Museum in Chicago opened prior to the 1934 World's Fair hoping to draw visitors and help erase the popular view that US Chinatowns were "immoral and dangerous."
The museum housed a large altar in the rear of the main arcade to enshrine an icon of Guanyin. 🧵
🗃️ 📜 #Chicago
The museum housed a large altar in the rear of the main arcade to enshrine an icon of Guanyin. 🧵
🗃️ 📜 #Chicago
![The image depicts a colorful interior scene from the Ling Long Chinese Museum, specifically the so-called “Temple of Kung Yin” [sic]. It showcases a seated image of Guanyin on a lotus pedestal. The image is centrally positioned and surrounded by intricate ornamental pillars and panels featuring decorative patterns and red and yellow Chinese text. Two lion statues flank the pedestal, contributing to the symmetrical composition. The background includes a richly decorated wall with intricate artwork. The floor consists of multicolored tiles, adding texture to the scene.
Sort available posts on Bluesky using #Buddhasinthewest | All posts archived here: tinyurl.com/4kmcwp87 🔍 🗃️ 📜](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ftj2bmay74kldpsbikim2lnu/bafkreihsikhrtkbkir57f2nto6nypsyj65e4fnvkjvrbxhbad643x4ai64@jpeg)
October 13, 2025 at 3:26 PM
The Ling Long Chinese Museum in Chicago opened prior to the 1934 World's Fair hoping to draw visitors and help erase the popular view that US Chinatowns were "immoral and dangerous."
The museum housed a large altar in the rear of the main arcade to enshrine an icon of Guanyin. 🧵
🗃️ 📜 #Chicago
The museum housed a large altar in the rear of the main arcade to enshrine an icon of Guanyin. 🧵
🗃️ 📜 #Chicago
Reposted by Zhang Jie
If you are interested in reading and writing about any of these titles, please send an email to t@asiancha.com. We would love to hear from you.
September 12, 2025 at 9:32 AM
If you are interested in reading and writing about any of these titles, please send an email to t@asiancha.com. We would love to hear from you.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
If you are interested in the history of book, check out this phenomenal exhibit curated by the wonderful Martin Heijdra at Princeton. It is a model exhibit in so many ways, covering different parts of the world, so many languages, and, images are in IIIF
dpul.princeton.edu/global-book-...
dpul.princeton.edu/global-book-...
Forms & Function
dpul.princeton.edu
September 15, 2025 at 10:56 AM
If you are interested in the history of book, check out this phenomenal exhibit curated by the wonderful Martin Heijdra at Princeton. It is a model exhibit in so many ways, covering different parts of the world, so many languages, and, images are in IIIF
dpul.princeton.edu/global-book-...
dpul.princeton.edu/global-book-...
Reposted by Zhang Jie
One of the Institute's jijin 祭巾, headgear worn by Catholic priests in late imperial China. The jijin was first described by Giuilo Aleni 艾儒畧 (1582-1649) in his Misa jiyi 彌撒祭義 (Meaning of the rite of the mass, preface dated 1629). The pictured jijin is small and probably belonged to an altar boy.
July 30, 2025 at 1:23 PM
One of the Institute's jijin 祭巾, headgear worn by Catholic priests in late imperial China. The jijin was first described by Giuilo Aleni 艾儒畧 (1582-1649) in his Misa jiyi 彌撒祭義 (Meaning of the rite of the mass, preface dated 1629). The pictured jijin is small and probably belonged to an altar boy.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
We recently bought a late 19th-c. Catholic work published in Shanghai. Cataloguing it, we found a note in pencil with the date 1941. We also found two tram tickets, one with penciled notes in the same hand. We will post about the book itself on a different occasion. For now, please enjoy these.
June 25, 2025 at 4:16 PM
We recently bought a late 19th-c. Catholic work published in Shanghai. Cataloguing it, we found a note in pencil with the date 1941. We also found two tram tickets, one with penciled notes in the same hand. We will post about the book itself on a different occasion. For now, please enjoy these.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
A number of paintings depicting Jesuit missionaries to Ming and Qing China, as well as Xu Guangqi 徐光啟, were returned to the Institute from the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore, where they had been on loan. The paintings were made at the T'ou-sè-wè 土山灣 orphanage in Shanghai before 1915.
June 9, 2025 at 4:29 PM
A number of paintings depicting Jesuit missionaries to Ming and Qing China, as well as Xu Guangqi 徐光啟, were returned to the Institute from the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore, where they had been on loan. The paintings were made at the T'ou-sè-wè 土山灣 orphanage in Shanghai before 1915.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
Two illustrations from an undated Japanese manuscript copy of Adam Schall von Bell's 湯若望 (1591-1666) Yuanjing shuo 遠鏡說 [Explanation of the telescope, 1626].
The wormed manuscript has been expertly mended.
The wormed manuscript has been expertly mended.
May 27, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Two illustrations from an undated Japanese manuscript copy of Adam Schall von Bell's 湯若望 (1591-1666) Yuanjing shuo 遠鏡說 [Explanation of the telescope, 1626].
The wormed manuscript has been expertly mended.
The wormed manuscript has been expertly mended.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
Details from a map of Edo (present-day Tokyo) that we have yet to catalog. The library will be closed on Monday, May 26. We wish everyone in the US a nice Memorial Day weekend.
May 23, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Details from a map of Edo (present-day Tokyo) that we have yet to catalog. The library will be closed on Monday, May 26. We wish everyone in the US a nice Memorial Day weekend.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
Using photogrammetry, the Boston College
Digital Scholarship team (ds.bc.edu) is helping us create 3D models of some of our Japanese printing woodblocks. We have great plans for these scans. Stay tuned.
Digital Scholarship team (ds.bc.edu) is helping us create 3D models of some of our Japanese printing woodblocks. We have great plans for these scans. Stay tuned.
May 16, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Using photogrammetry, the Boston College
Digital Scholarship team (ds.bc.edu) is helping us create 3D models of some of our Japanese printing woodblocks. We have great plans for these scans. Stay tuned.
Digital Scholarship team (ds.bc.edu) is helping us create 3D models of some of our Japanese printing woodblocks. We have great plans for these scans. Stay tuned.
This was an unexpected find, by chance, but turns out to be a treat!
A Japanese world map from the Tokugawa period that we have yet to catalog. The images show Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica (connected to Australia); North America; western Japan, Korea, and the Chinese coast; and Brazil.
May 23, 2025 at 2:00 AM
This was an unexpected find, by chance, but turns out to be a treat!
Reposted by Zhang Jie
Jie Zhang (Arizona State University) is helping us identify the source of images in a recently acquired early 20th-century Chinese book on the passion of the Christ.
May 9, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Jie Zhang (Arizona State University) is helping us identify the source of images in a recently acquired early 20th-century Chinese book on the passion of the Christ.
Reposted by Zhang Jie
Jie Zhang (Arizona State University) is visiting the library to do research on interreligious exchanges in printed illustrations between the 17th and 19th century. For more information on Ms. Zhang and her work, see search.asu.edu/profile/4784....
May 8, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Jie Zhang (Arizona State University) is visiting the library to do research on interreligious exchanges in printed illustrations between the 17th and 19th century. For more information on Ms. Zhang and her work, see search.asu.edu/profile/4784....