Welcoming Descent of the Amida Buddha Triad

Unknown artist, 13th century

Download1755 × 4000 px View on a wall Edit

Medium: Hanging scroll, gold and color on indigo-dyed silk
Size: 33 3/8 × 14 5/8 in. (84.77 × 37.15 cm)
Culture: Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Museum: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Rights: Public Domain Mark

Followers of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism in Japan believe that, at the moment of death, Amida Buddha will descend from his paradise to receive the soul of a faithful follower. This painting depicts Amida floating downward on clouds. He is accompanied by the bodhisattva Seishi, whose hands are clasped in prayer, and Kannon, who holds a lotus upon which to receive the soul of the dying. The extreme refinement of the painting, rendered entirely in gold on indigo-dyed silk, is a hallmark of Buddhist imagery of Japan's Kamakura period (1185-1333).

Text: Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), CC BY 4.0.