Saikyoji Temple: Amitabha Buddha and Bodhisattvas Welcoming the Deceased

JAPAN, Shiga, Otsu; Kamakura period

This 14th century raigo (welcoming approach) painting on the face of a box is titled Jiun Mida (Amitabha on a Speeding Cloud), suggesting that the Buddha is traveling rapidly to welcome a deceased being to the Pure Land. The blurred inscriptions at the top indicate that the artwork is associated with the Tendai school. It is listed as an Important Cultural Property.
Leading the group of descending figures are the kneeling Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, who joins palms, and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, bearing a lotus throne for the deceased. The larger Amitabha Buddha sits on a lotus throne upon a cloud in the center of the painting. Fine lines of light radiate from Amitabha’s head. A group of Bodhisattvas and disciples follow behind the Buddha. Some join their palms while others play musical instruments. Uniquely, Sanskrit syllables are written inside a row of small moon discs beneath the inscription in the upper register.
The painting is colored in gold and light brown against a dark background. Aside from the two standing Bodhisattvas playing the drums, all of the figures are seated, typical of late Kamakura period Buddhist art.