iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Replies

Buddhas in the West Material Archive @buddhasinthewest.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Among the earliest European images of Buddhist monks are the copperplate engravings appearing in late 17th travel books. This curious assortment of figures comes from the 1665 French edition of An Embassy of the Dutch East India Company by Johannes Nieuhof. 🧵 🗃️ 📜

2204

Recap.at @recapat.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Worth noting Nieuhof's engravings were often filtered through European artistic conventions - the monks' poses and proportions frequently mimicked Christian saint iconography, which tells us as much about what Europeans *expected* to...

000

Buddhas in the West Material Archive @buddhasinthewest.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Nieuhof accompanied the first Dutch diplomatic mission to China in 1657, and his account became the first illustrated book devoted to China. Many of the engravings were based on sketches he made during the journey, though they were later reworked by European artists and engravers. 2/6

130