The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of November 30, 2021

Seated Amitabha

아미타여래좌상 (阿彌陀如來坐像)

1300s

Korea, Goryeo period

(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

Fun Fact

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.

Citations
Goryeo: The Glory of Korea [대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
Cleveland Museum of Art, “The Cleveland Museum of Art Acquires Major Works,” December 20, 1995, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
Exhibition history

Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 119); July 16 - October 28, 2003.

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