Unidentified Artist / Welcoming Descent of Amida and Twenty-five Bodhisattvas / Nanbokucho period (1336?1392), late 14th century

Unidentified Artist
Welcoming Descent of Amida and Twenty-five Bodhisattvas
Nanbokucho period (1336?1392), late 14th century
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Creator Nationality: Asian; Far East Asian; Japanese
Creator Dates/Places: Japan
Creator Name-CRT: Unidentified Artist
Title: Welcoming Descent of Amida and Twenty-five Bodhisattvas
View: Principal view
Creation Start Date: 1367
Creation End Date: 1399
Creation Date: Nanbokucho period (1336?1392), late 14th century
Object Type: Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Materials and Techniques: Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Dimensions: 65 3/4 x 33 1/2 in. (167 x 85.1 cm)
Description: Like many works of art created to represent the Pure Land school's belief in salvation through faith, a painting such as this depicting Amida and his attendants descending from heaven to take a believer back to the Western Paradise (raigo) was an indispensable religious image at the time of death. Raigo paintings were often hung by the bedside of the dying to ensure the prospect of rebirth in paradise. Since traditionally the dying lay with their heads to the north and their faces looking west, raigo paintings usually depict the Buddha and his entourage descending from the upper left toward the lower right, aligned with the gaze of the dying individual. Sometimes a silken cord is attached to the Buddha's hand, providing a physical representation of Amida's promise to lead the soul to paradise.
AMICA Contributor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Owner Location: New York, New York
ID Number: 42.25.37
Credit Line: Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, 1942
Copyright: Copyright ? 2002 The Metropolitan Museum of Art . All rights reserved.
Rights: http://www.metmuseum.org/education/er_photo_lib.asp
AMICA ID: MMA_.42.25.37
AMICA Library Year: 2002
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright (c) 2002 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All Rights Reserved

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