
Stone
This sculpted figure at the Mitaam Hermitage is carved in relief against a flame-patterned mandorla that encloses an intersecting aureole and a circular nimbus. The base consists of a circular lotus-patterned upper section and a square lower section decorated with an ogee arch on each side.
Amitabha wears monastic robes that cover both shoulders and are carved in fluid ripples. The right hand is raised in a mudra and the left is lowered to the side of the body. The statue, listed as Treasure No. 998 in 1989, is in typical 8th century Unified Silla (668–935) style and shows influences of the Amitabha Buddha image at Gamsansa Temple.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves M-Mo, page 820.