Embroidery of Amitaprabha Bodhisattva

CHINA, Tibet

This embroidery was originally kept in a Tibetan monastery. According to an inscription on the back, this image is of the seventh Bodhisattva, known as Amitaprabha. It is thought to be part of a set of sixteen Bodhisattvas.
Amitaprabha wears a crown and has a colorful nimbus and mandorla. The body is of a light shade of red and the bare chest is adorned with a necklace. Amitaprabha is clad in a dhoti and a robe covering both shoulders. Seated in full lotus position upon a lotus throne, the hands of the figure form the vitarka (teaching) mudra. Encircling Amitaprabha is an arc consisting of various forms, including makaras, flowers, and scrolling vines. In the upper register, there is a canopy flanked by colorful cloud patterns. In the lower register, there is a vase out of which arise seven lotuses, supporting auspicious symbols. The background is dark blue and the borders consist of a scrolling vine design.
This work was embroidered in satin to create delicate shading and modulation from one color to another to produce a painterly effect.