Koei (Unkei IX)
Amida

ArtistJapanese, active 15th century, Muromachi period, 1392–1573
CultureJapanese
Titles
  • Amida
Date1472
MediumWood with traces of polychrome
DimensionsOverall: 21 × 17 3/4 × 16 1/8 in. (53.3 × 45.1 × 41 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Brown Foundation Accessions Endowment Fund
Object number92.193
Current Location
The Caroline Wiess Law Building
108M Jones Galleries
Exposé

Explore Further

Department
Asian Art
Object Type
Description

This temple sculpture was created by Koei Unkei, a master artist of the Muromachi period. Koei depicts Amida, the Amitabha Buddha, with tightly curled hair and loose flowing robes. The gleaming white stone on the figure’s forehead represents the universal brightness that emanates from the Buddha's enlightened state.


Amida is the Japanese name of the Amitabha Buddha, who rules over the Paradise of the West, believed to be a heavenly place where the souls of Buddhists who have transcended the cycle of death and rebirth reside. Amida is the central figure of Jodo, or Pure Land Buddhism, a movement that became popular in Japan during the 12th century. Pure Land Buddhists believe that through faith and repeatedly reciting Amida’s name, anyone can escape earthly suffering.


ProvenanceResearch Ongoing
Exhibition HistoryLos Angeles County Museum of Art, 1984.

Art Institute of Chicago, 1984.

The Brooklyn Museum, 1984–85.

"Circa 1492: Art in the Age of Exploration," National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., October 12, 1991–January 12, 1992.

"The Marzio Years: Transforming the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1982–2010," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 25, 2020–January 10, 2021.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Inscribed, signed, & dated in ink, inside head of sculpture: "Carved by Unkei 9th on the 8th day of the 8th month, 4th year of Bummei [1472] at Daisan-ji of Yoshu, at Matsuyama, Shikoku. Carved by Koei of the Shichijo Bussho Workshop."

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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