The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Amitābha Triad

Amitābha Triad

possibly 1400s
(1368–1644)
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Painting: 95.3 x 50.2 cm (37 1/2 x 19 3/4 in.); Overall with knobs: 196.2 x 73.3 cm (77 1/4 x 28 7/8 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Warren H. Corning, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert F. Leisy, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar J. Lange, and Leon Fletcher, Jr. 1961.135
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Amita is flanked by a pair of bodhisattvas, compassionate beings who aid others to reach enlightenment.

Description

This hanging scroll illustrates an apparition of Buddha Amitābha (阿彌陀 in Chinese) and two attendant bodhisattvas, in the midst of colorful light and swirling clouds. The one who carries a miniature image of Amitābha in its jeweled crown is Avalokiteśvara (觀音 in Chinese); the other who carries a flower vase is Mahāsthāmaprāpta (大勢至 in Chinese).

Previously, this work was identified as a rare example of a Korean Buddhist painting from the early Joseon period. In contrast to surviving Korean works from this time the scroll stands out for its fine details. However, other elements such as the striped almond-shaped halo that encircles the main Buddha, firm red lines that define each deity’s facial features, and the flowing garments may identify it as an early Ming period Chinese Buddhist painting.
  • ?–1961
    (Hollis & Company, Cleveland, OH, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1961–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 365 archive.org
    Shin, Junhyoung Michael. “The Face-to-Face Advent of the Amitābha Triad: A Fifteenth-Century Welcoming Descent.” Cleveland Studies in the History of Art, vol. 6, 2001, pp. 28–47. Reproduced: fig. 1, p. 29 www.jstor.org
  • Korean Gallery 236 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (July 16, 2018-January 20, 2019).
    Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 237). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (May 29, 2013-December 23, 2013).
    The Art of Southern Sung China. The Asia Society Museum, New York, NY (organizer) (February 15-April 15, 1962).
    Year in Review (1961). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 1-26, 1961).
  • {{cite web|title=Amitābha Triad|url=false|author=|year=possibly 1400s|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1961.135