Amitabha Buddha Triad

KOREA; Goryeo dynasty

This depiction of the Amitabha Buddha Triad consists of three scrolls, each measuring 150 cm high and 62 cm wide. Based on the inscriptions at the bottom of each scroll, they were commissioned in 1309 by the Xu family. In 1973, the scrolls were listed as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Each of the three main figures sits in full lotus position on a lotus throne with a Sumeru base, and is accompanied by two attendants. Amitabha Buddha has a low usnisa and is dressed in a monastic robe adorned with an intricate turtleback pattern and circular motifs. Avalokitesvara wears a headdress decorated with a Buddha image, while Mahasthamaprapta’s headdress is topped with a vase. Both Bodhisattvas wear ornate robes, ornaments, and jewelry. The three figures all have similar features including broad foreheads, short chins, and slender fingers with sharp nails, a unique detail rarely seen in Buddhist paintings. The body of Amitabha Buddha is washed in light yellow, while the Bodhisattvas are painted in white overlaid with milder colors.