Amitābha (阿弥陀仏 Amida butsu; 阿弥陀如来 Amida nyorai), unknown maker from Japan

Artwork Overview

Amitābha (阿弥陀仏 Amida butsu; 阿弥陀如来 Amida nyorai) , circa 1400s, Muromachi period (1338–1573)
Where object was made: Japan
Material/technique: wood; kirikane; lacquer
Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 109.2 x 46.1 x 40 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 43 0.9921 x 18 1/8 x 15 3/4 in
Credit line: Museum purchase and Gift of Dr. W. Clarke and Barbara Benton Wescoe
Accession number: 1990.0080
Not on display

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Images

Label texts

Exhibition Label: "Forms of Thought," Mar-2014, Kris Ercums Amita¯bha, whose name means “limitless light” in Sanskrit, is venerated in the Pure Land sect of the Maha¯yana Buddhist tradition. Scriptures related to Amita¯bha first made their way to Japan in the 7th century, but the religious figure did not become popular until three hundred years later when Buddhism was tranformed from an elite, foreign tradition into a populist religion. Pure Land Buddhism teaches mindfulness through the recitation of Amita¯bha’s name (namu amida butsu in Japanese) in order to attain reincarnation in Western Paradise. An accompanying hand gesture (known as a mudra in Sanskrit) welcomes deceased souls into paradise (known as raigo-in 来迎印). Darkened from smoke and incense, this figure’s lacquer coating, mixed with tiny slivers of gold leaf (called kirikane), once glowed in the flickering light of votive candles in the dim temple interior. Exhibition Label: "Nature/Natural," Feb-2011, Kris Ercums In Pure Land Buddhism, the Amida Buddha is believed to lead souls of the deceased to the Western Paradise. As a belief system, Pure Land Buddhism first appeared in Central Asia and became widespread in China, Korea, and eventually Japan, where this sculpture was made. Pure Land teaches mindfulness through the recitation of the Amida Buddha’s name in order to attain reincarnation in Western Paradise. Through its journey from India, many of the tenets of Buddhism were transformed, but surprisingly, a wide array of visual elements remained intact. For example, the hand gesture of the Buddha (known as a mudra), the coiled hair, and the elongated earlobes are all associated with historical representations of the Buddha seen first in India, nearly a thousand years earlier. Exhibition Label: "Echoes of Human Migration in the Collection of the Spencer Museum of Art," Mar-2010 In Pureland Buddhism, the Amida Buddha is believed to lead souls of the deceased to the Western Paradise. As a belief system, Pureland Buddhism first appeared in Central Asia and became widespread in China, Korea, and eventually Japan, where this sculpture was made. Through its journey from India, many of the tenets of Buddhism were transformed, but surprisingly, a wide array of visual elements remained intact. For example, the hand gesture of the Buddha (known as a mudra), the coiled hair, and the elongated earlobes are all associated with historical representations of the Buddha seen first in India, nearly a thousand years earlier. Archive Label 2003 (version 1): Pure Land Buddhism has been the most popular sect in Japan since the twelfth century. The central deity of Pure Land is Amida (Sanscrit: Amitahba) Buddha, whose Pure Land paradise is in the west. According to the scriptures, Amida vowed that anyone who expressed sincere faith in him would be reborn in his paradise. When believers die, Amida descends to earth to welcome their souls into his Western Pure Land. Amida’s hands are in the position displayed when welcoming a soul to paradise (raigo-in). There are three levels of rebirth into the Pure Land, each subdivided into three classes. With hands in the present position, Amida is welcoming someone into the lower life, upper class. Wood was the favored medium for sculpture in Japan. Following techniques that prevailed from the eleventh century, this sculpture was constructed of separate pieces of wood that were carved, hollowed out, and then assembled. The artisans then coated the image with lacquer and, to accentuate Amida’s radiance, pasted tiny slivers of gold leaf (kirikane) on his robes. The delicate cut-gold patterns made the image sparkle, especially in the flickering light of votive candles in a dim temple interior. Archive Label 2003 (version 2): This sculpture represents Amida (Sanskrit: Amitahba) Buddha, the central deity of Pure Land Buddhism. Amida’s compassion has made Pure Land the most popular Buddhist sect in Japan since the twelfth century. According to the Lotus Sutra, Amida vowed to save the souls of everyone who expressed sincere faith in him. When believers die, Amida descends to earth to welcome their souls into his Western Pure Land. Amida’s hands are in the position displayed when welcoming a soul to paradise (raigo-in). There are three levels of rebirth into the Pure Land, each subdivided into three classes. This hand position (Sanskrit: mudra) indicates that Amida is welcoming a believer into the lower life, upper class. The symmetrical fall of the drapery over the legs coupled with the soft naturalism of the face suggests a connection to the style developed by the sculptor Kaikei (1183-1223). The concern for surface decoration in gold and the interest in detailed carving of the drapery also reveal a link to the Kaikei tradition. Following techniques that prevailed from the eleventh century, this sculpture was constructed of separate pieces of wood that were carved, hollowed out, and then assembled. The artisans then coated the image with lacquer and, to accentuate Amida’s radiance, pasted tiny slivers of gold leaf (kirikane) on his robes. The delicate cut-gold patterns articulate the surface and made the image sparkle in the flickering light of votive candles in a dim temple interior. Archive Label 2003 (version 3): This sculpture represents Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha) Buddha, the central deity of Pure Land Buddhism. Amida’s compassion and saving grace have made Pure Land the most popular Buddhist sect in Japan since the twelfth century. According to the Lotus Sutra, Amida vowed that anyone who expressed sincere faith in him would be reborn in his paradise. Here Amida’s hands perform one of the nine gestures, collectively called raigo-in, that indicate he is welcoming a believer into his Western Pure Land. The symmetrical fall of the drapery over the legs coupled with the soft naturalism of the face suggests a connection to the style developed by the sculptor Kaikei (1183-1223). The detailed carving of the drapery and elegant surface decoration in gold also link the sculpture to the Kaikei tradition. Following techniques that prevailed from the eleventh century, this sculpture was constructed of separate pieces of wood that were carved, hollowed out, and then assembled. The artisans then coated the image with lacquer and, to accentuate Amida’s radiance, pasted tiny slivers of gold leaf (kirikane) on his robes. The delicate cut-gold patterns articulating the surface would have made the image sparkle in the flickering light of votive candles in a dim temple interior.

Resources

Audio

Art Minute with David Cateforis
Didactic – Art Minute
Art Minute with David Cateforis
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 244. I’m David Cateforis with another Art Minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. A masterpiece of the Spencer collection is an exquisitely crafted Japanese sculpture of a standing Amida Buddha, probably dating to the fifteenth century. Amida is the central diety of Pure Land Buddhism, the most popular Buddhist sect in Japan. A figure of compassion and saving grace, Amida promised that anyone who believed in him would be reborn in his Western Paradise. In the Spencer sculpture, Amida’s hand gestures welcome the believer into this paradise, symbolized by the stylized clouds below Amida’s feet. Following time-honored techniques, this three-and-a-half-foot-high sculpture was constructed of separate pieces of wood that were carved, hollowed out, and then assembled. The sculpture was then coated with lacquer, and slivers of gold leaf were pasted onto Amida’s robes, to accentuate his radiance. The gold would have made the figure sparkle in the flickering candlelight of a dim temple interior. Stand before this marvelous statue and sense for yourself Amida Buddha’s serene compassion, so sensitively portrayed by the anonymous Japanese artist. From the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.
Ear for Art Audio Tour
Audio Tour – Ear for Art
Ear for Art Audio Tour
Audio Tour – Ear for Art
Who is this? This 15th-century Japanese sculpture represents Amida Buddha, the Buddha of the Pure Land Paradise. Pure Land Buddhism is one of the most popular forms of Buddhism in East Asia.
Bulldog Art Tour 2009: Elbeg Erdenee
Audio Tour – Bulldog Podcast
Bulldog Art Tour 2009: Elbeg Erdenee
Audio Tour – Bulldog Podcast
Listen to core object information.
Audio Description
Listen to core object information.
Audio Description
This work is called Amitabha, also known as Amida butsu or Amidha nyorai, created in Japan circa 1400, during the Muromachi period. This work is made with wood, lacquer, and kirikane.
Listen to Audio Description
Audio Description
Listen to Audio Description
Audio Description
The Amitābha is wooden sculpture of a Japanese Buddha figure standing on a flat lotus base amid swirling clouds of mist. The height of the sculpture from base to head is approximately three and a half feet. The sculpture stands on a pedestal which is about three feet tall and is enclosed in glass. The base and robe of the figure are covered in gold leaf, and the hands, head and chest of the figure are almost black. The smooth, stylized feature of the Buddha show him looking down slightly, eyes almost closed. His hair consists of small domed spirals which appear almost like a beaded cap. In the center of his head, the hair rises into a dome with a clear jewel at the front center. The center of his forehead is marked with a similar jewel, and his earlobes have large holes in them and seem stretched. His long flowing robes hang open at the neck in a U-shape, showing the figure’s chest and midriff. Carved drapes fall from his shoulders in many creases and layers, touching his wrists and the tops of his bare feet. The drapery is covered in patterns of gold leaf, with a wide floral border and various geometric patterns. His left arm is extended down slightly bent at the elbow. The tips of the thumb and forefinger are touching, forming a small “o”. The palm is open, facing outwards, and the other fingers extend out and downward towards the base. His right hand holds the same position, but the arm is fully bent at the elbow and wrist, so his palm faces out and his fingers extend toward the ceiling.
Listen to Label Text
Audio Description
Listen to Label Text
Audio Description
Amitābha, which means “limitless light” in Sanskrit, is venerated in the Pure Land sect of the Mahāyana Buddhist tradition. Scriptures related to Amitābha first made their way to Japan in the seventh century, but he did not become a popular religious figure until 300 years later when Buddhism was transformed from an elite, foreign tradition into a populist religion. Pure Land Buddhism teaches mindfulness through the recitation of Amitābha’s name (namu amida butsu in Japanese) in order to attain reincarnation in Western Paradise. The figure’s hand gesture (known as a mudra in Sanskrit) welcomes deceased souls into paradise (known as raigo-in 来迎印). Now darkened from smoke and incense, the lacquer coating mixed with tiny slivers of gold leaf (called kirikane) glowed with illuminated radiance in the flickering light of votive candles in the dimly lit temple interior.
Listen to App Text
Audio Description
Listen to App Text
Audio Description
This type of Buddha is called Amitābha, who is associated with the Pure Land sect of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Tap the Web icon to watch a video describing the differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. This statue was originally placed in a Buddhist temple in Japan and still shows some smoke residue from the incense burned there. This figure’s hand gesture—known as a mudra in Sanskrit—welcomes deceased souls into paradise. The gold patterning on the Amitābha’s drapery is created by a delicate process called kirikane. Tap the Web icon to watch a video showing this process. Walk around this sculpture to view it from all angles. In what ways can you see art and religion informing each other?