The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 16, 2024

Seated Amitabha

Seated Amitabha

1300s
(918–1392)
wood with lacquer and gilding
Overall: 33 x 21 x 19.8 cm (13 x 8 1/4 x 7 13/16 in.)
The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund and partial gift of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Roberta Carroll, M.D. in memory of Godfrey St. G. M. Gompertz 1995.67
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

This Buddhist statue was donated to the museum in memory of Godfrey St. G. M. Gompertz (1904-1992), a pioneering scholar and collector of Korean art, in particular in the area of Goryeo-period celadons.

Description

In Buddhist art, buddhas (supreme beings who entered the world of nirvana) and bodhisattvas (compassionate beings committed to the attainment of enlightenment for others) are two main subjects. The religious role of buddhas and bodhisattvas—to lead all sentient beings to the realm of Buddhahood—is the same, yet visual languages to represent them is different. As shown in this statue, the Buddha is represented as a monk with shaven head and dressed in simple monastic robes. Bodhisattvas, on the other hand, are adorned with elaborate jewelry and a lock of long hair.
  • ?–1995
    The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Roberta Carroll, M.D., New York, NY, partial gift and sale to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1995–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, “The Cleveland Museum of Art Acquires Major Works,” December 20, 1995, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
    Cunningham, Michael R., "A Korean icon", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 36 no. 09, November 1996 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 8 archive.org
    Cunningham, Michael R., "Land of Morning Calm", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 37 no. 07, September 1997 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 4-5 archive.org
    Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
    Goryeo: The Glory of Korea [대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
  • Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 119). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (July 16-October 28, 2003).
  • {{cite web|title=Seated Amitabha|url=false|author=|year=1300s|access-date=16 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1995.67