Amitabha and Kshitigarba
Not on view
The combination of the Amitabha Buddha (Korean: Amita) and the bodhisattva Kshitigarbha (Korean: Jijang)—on the right and left, respectively, standing under a canopy—is the only known example of this iconography in Goryeo Buddhist painting. A more typical composition features these two figures with the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Korean: Gwaneum), forming a triad in which Amitabha is the central deity, or just the two bodhisattvas. Both deities in this painting enjoyed a strong following during the Goryeo dynasty due to the popularity of Pure Land Buddhism. Amitabha Buddha offered the promise of easy salvation and entry into the Western Paradise; Kshitigarbha provided guidance and redemption in death and the afterlife.
Buddhist paintings of the Goryeo dynasty were renowned for their delicacy, refinement, and exquisitely rendered gold-painted designs. Pigments were applied to the front and back of the silk, intensifying their hues and luminosity (though some have faded from exposure to light over time).
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