Sairaiji Temple: Amitabha Buddha Triad Welcoming the Deceased

JAPAN, Mie, Tsu; Kamakura period

This 12th century painting is listed as an Important Cultural Property. It depicts Amitabha Buddha, and Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara, Mahasthamaprapta, and Ksitigarbha descending on clouds to welcome a deceased being to the Pure Land.
In the center of the painting, Amitabha sits on a lotus throne, resting one foot on a lotus pedestal. The hands of the Buddha form a mudra. Dark-colored rings fill the nimbus and aureole. Gold lines of light radiate from the urna in the middle of the forehead. Gold is also used to decorate the Buddha’s monastic robe. Sitting on the right beside Amitabha is Ksitigarbha.
In the lower register, Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta, both wearing headdresses and ornaments, kneel on lotus thrones. Avalokitesvara is on the right, holding a small lotus throne for the deceased. On the left, Mahasthamaprapta joins palms in reverence.
A trail of clouds recedes into the distance at the top of the painting, suggesting that the Buddha and Bodhisattvas have come from far away. Although the picture contains many elements of late Heian period (794–1185) style, the stiff brushstrokes and gold highlights are typical of the early Kamakura period.