Buddha Amitabha Descending from His Pure Land

China

Not on view

This painting shows the Buddha Amitabha (or Amida, in Japanese) descending from his Pure Land to welcome the soul of a recently deceased individual into his paradise. Amida is one of several Buddhas who create and maintain such realms, and paintings of the deity (either alone or attended by bodhisattvas) were among the most widely produced images in China from the twelfth to the fourteenth century. Many, including this one, were brought to Japan. The abstracted folds of drapery, the green garment’s transparency as it falls over Amida’s arm, and the Buddha’s bean-shaped face are all characteristics of thirteenth-century images.

On view for rotation 1

Buddha Amitabha Descending from His Pure Land, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, China

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Buddha Amitabha Descending from His Pure Land, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, China
Buddha Amitabha Descending from His Pure Land, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, China
Buddha Amitabha Descending from His Pure Land, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, China

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