Amitabha Buddha

Unknown artist

Heian period 12th century

Lacquered wood with gold leaf

Kyushu National Museum

A standing Buddha statue with a halo, adorned with gold leaf, is displayed on a lotus pedestal. A standing Buddha statue with a halo, adorned with gold leaf, is displayed on a lotus pedestal. Standing about 90 cm high, this fine image of Amitabha Buddha dates from the late Heian period (794–1185). While many such statues were carved during the Kamakura period (1185–1333), it is rare to find one dating back to the preceding Heian period, making this work an important relic. His gentle facial expression and the shallow, flowing lines of his robes point to a style inherited from Jōchō, the Buddhist sculptor who created the Amitabha Buddha in Kyoto’s Byōdō-in Temple. This statue was once owned by the Genmyō-in Temple in Kameoka, K