Ishiyama: Amitabha Buddha and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

JAPAN, Mie, Tsu; Muromachi period

These statues were carved into the rock of a hillside during the Muromachi period (1392–1573). They are listed as a Prefecture Cultural Property.
Amitabha Buddha stands within a niche which also functions as a surrounding aureole and nimbus. The Buddha’s hands form the lowest grade of the highest class mudra. The rippling folds of the monastic robe fall downward in increasing proportions. The roughly carved lotus pedestal on which the figure stands rests on a two sectioned base with shallowly incised decorative designs.
Ksitigarbha is carved in a similar niche below the Buddha. His shallowly incised right hand is holding a monk’s staff with a rarely seen pagoda-shaped head while the left hand holds a wish-fulfilling jewel. A vase appears in the bottom left corner, which is uncommon in depictions of Ksitigarbha.