Welcoming Descent of Amida Buddha with Bodhisattvas Kannon and Seishi

late 14th–early 15th century

Not on view

This embroidered image depicts Amida Buddha with his attendant bodhisattvas, Kannon and Seishi, as they descend to welcome a believer to the Western Paradise at the time of her death. Such images served as guides for the faithful, helping them in their final moments to ensure their rebirth in Amida’s Pure Land, and were often used in deathbed rituals. Most surviving embroideries were created by women, and the devotee represented in this composition is a young woman. For her depictions of Amida’s curly hair, parts of his vestment, and other figures’ hair, the maker used stitches of human hair, probably her own. In this way, she embedded herself within an image that provides hope in this life and a demonstration of salvation after death.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

刺繍阿弥陀三尊来迎図
Title: Welcoming Descent of Amida Buddha with Bodhisattvas Kannon and Seishi
Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
Date: late 14th–early 15th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; silk and hair embroidery on silk ground
Dimensions: Image: 15 1/2 × 5 11/16 in. (39.4 × 14.5 cm)
Overall with mounting: 38 × 12 1/8 in. (96.5 × 30.8 cm)
Overall with knobs: 38 × 13 7/8 in. (96.5 × 35.2 cm)
Classification: Textiles-Embroidered
Credit Line: Purchase, Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, by exchange, 2023
Object Number: 2023.327
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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