A painting of Amitabha in the Sukhavati Heaven

TIBETO-CHINESE, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A painting of Amitabha in the Sukhavati Heaven
Tibeto-Chinese, 18th/19th century
Seated in dhyanasana holding a medicine bowl in his lap and dressed in patchwork robes, the face with serene expression backed by a nimbus and surmounted by blossoming lotuses supporting diminutive images of Amitayus, Ushnishavijaya and White Tara, surrounded by various Buddhist deities and monks, all within a circular cosmic aureole, flanked on either side by dancing offering goddesses within a mountainous and cloudy landscape
48 7/8 x 96 in. (124.1 x 243.8 cm.)

Provenance

Private collection, California

Literature

Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 23410

Exhibited

Journey to Tibet, Lotusland, Montecito, California, 26 July 1998

Lot Essay

The Sukhavati realm, otherwise known as the Western Pure Land, is an important aspect of Mahayana Buddhist tradition. There are countless Pure Lands, each presided over by a Buddha or bodhisattva, but Amitabha's Western Pure Land is considered the most popular. The Pure Land is visualized as a celestial realm where meritorious beings are reborn to bask in the teachings of the presiding Buddha.

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