Amitabha Buddha (Amida), the Buddha of Infinite Light

Object Details

• Label

  The Buddha of Infinite Light, known in Japanese as Amida, presided over the Pure Land, the Western Paradise where the faithful could be reborn and gain release from an endless cycle of birth, rebirth, and suffering. Worship of Amida, which reached a peak during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), was promoted by the promise of salvation and also by the Japanese belief that mappo, the final period of decline of the Buddhist Law, had begun in the eleventh century.

  This small gilt-bronze sculpture of Amida was created for private worship; the symbolic hand gestures, known as mudra, signify protection against fear. Bronze is traditionally believed to have been the earliest medium of Buddhist sculpture in Japan. Although wood became the dominant medium from the ninth century onward, bronze continued in widespread use for small images and was occasionally used for large sculptures such as the Great Buddha at Kamakura.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Buddhist Art (May 9, 1993 to August 9, 2011)

  Japanese Art (November 7, 1986 to July 19, 1988)

  Japanese Art (March 12, 1982 to November 3, 1986)

  A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980 (November 9, 1979 to May 22, 1980)

  Japanese Art (July 1, 1974 to April 10, 1978)

  Japanese Art: Painting and Sculpture (July 1, 1966 to May 2, 1973)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Sculpture

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1200s

• Name

  buddha

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Gilding, Bronze, Kamakura period (1185 - 1333), Art, Sculpture, Amitabha Buddha, Japanese Art, Abhaya mudra, Metal-work

• Culture

  Buddhists, Japanese

• Object Type

  Sculpture