Amida Triad in the Form of Sacred Sanskrit Syllables

13th century

Not on view

Embroidered Buddhist images were introduced to Japan from China in the sixth century. Large embroideries were prominent among icons from the sixth through the ninth century and were often hung in temple lecture halls. In the Kamakura period, practices focused on attaining birth in the Buddha Amida’s (Sanskrit: Amitābha) Western Paradise became widespread, and many small embroideries like this one were produced for individual devotional practice and deathbed ritual. In place of anthropomorphic images, the Sanskrit syllables for Amida, Kannon (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara), and Seishi (Sanskrit: Mahasthamaprapta) are used in this scroll. The needleworker substituted human hair for silk thread in the Sanskrit characters, a practice common in scrolls used during ceremonies following the death of a devotee, when prayers were offered for safe birth in Amida’s Pure Land. The embroidery conveniently depicts an altar set with offerings of flowers and an incense burner in the form of a lion, so one would not require an actual altar. Inscriptions at the top explain that Amida’s light illuminates the entire world, and that the recitation of his name will ensure that no one is left behind in the journey to his Pure Land.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

刺繍種字阿弥陀三尊図
Title: Amida Triad in the Form of Sacred Sanskrit Syllables
Period: Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Date: 13th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; silk embroidery, gold-wrapped thread, and human hair
Dimensions: Image: 44 7/8 x 15 1/4 in. (114 x 38.7 cm)
Overall with mounting: 65 1/4 x 20 1/2 in. (165.7 x 52.1 cm)
Overall with knobs: 65 1/4 x 22 in. (165.7 x 55.9 cm)
Classification: Textiles-Embroidered
Credit Line: The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975
Object Number: 1975.268.22
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

The Bodhisattva Jizō, Intan Japanese, Japanese cypress wood (hinoki) with polychrome pigments, gold paint (kindei), cut gold leaf (kirikane), and rock-crystal eyes, Japan — The Bodhisattva Jizō
Intan
1291

Portrait of Shun'oku Myōha, Unidentified artist Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan — Portrait of Shun'oku Myōha
Unidentified artist
ca. 1383

The Wisdom King Aizen (Aizen Myōō), Hanging scroll; ink, color, gold, and cut gold leaf (kirikane) on silk, Japan — The Wisdom King Aizen (Aizen Myōō)
Japan
14th century

Three Poems from the Later Collection of Japanese Poems (Gosen wakashū), Monk Saigyō Japanese, Page from a booklet, mounted as hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan — Three Poems from the Later Collection of Japanese Poems (Gosen wakashū)
Monk Saigyō
late 12th century

”Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises”, Musō Soseki Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan — ”Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises”
Musō Soseki
early to mid-14th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.