Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light

Japan

early 12th century

Japanese cypress with polychrome and gold

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A seated wooden statue of a Buddha figure with a serene expression, adorned with red and gold polychrome, rests on a lotus pedestal. Amida Nyorai, the Buddha of Limitless Light, is the salvific central figure of Pure Land Buddhist teachings. Believers who call on the name of Amida will be greeted by him and his retinue at the moment of death and transported to the western Pure Land. In this sculpture, which reflects the influence of the master Japanese sculptor Jōchō (d. 1057), Amida is seated with legs crossed in the full lotus position. He joins the index fingers and thumbs of both hands in a mudra (sacred gesture) of welcoming. Traces of the gold foil that once fully covered Amida’s skin and the green, red, and black pigments of his clothing remain. Gallery G2