Artwork Page for Cinerary Urn with Amida’s Pure Land (lid)

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Cinerary Urn with Amida’s Pure Land (lid)

阿弥陀浄土図骨壺（蓋）

800s-900s

Japan, Heian period

(794–1185)
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Medium
gilt bronze
Measurements
Diameter of mouth: 12.4 cm (4 7/8 in.); Overall: 26.1 cm (10 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1960.55.b
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

This urn once held someone’s ashes. It is decorated with images of the Pure Land of Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Life and Light. Heian-period devotees of Amida believed that if they called upon his name with sincerity at the moment of death, they would be born into his Pure Land, also known as the Western Paradise, and thereby escape the pattern of reincarnation. As shown on the lid of the urn, in the Pure Land, musical instruments float about playing by themselves. Its palatial structures and magnificent lotus pond are described on the body of the urn.
A circular gilt bronze lid features a central, raised knob shaped like a flower. Concentric circles ripple across the gold surface, which is decorated with etched ribbons, stylized flowers, and a small vessel. Dark patches of oxidation mottle the metal, particularly around the outer edges and center. The lid is slightly convex and bordered by a thin, flat rim.

Cinerary Urn with Amida’s Pure Land (lid)

800s-900s

Japan, Heian period (794–1185)

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