The Amida Buddha with his retinue welcomes the souls of the dying

painting

Japanese Collection

Accession Nr.: 1619
Type: painting
Date of production:
18th–19th centuries
Edo (Tokugawa) period
Place of production:
Acquisition: collected by Péter Vay
Materials/Techniques: colours and gold on paper
Dimensions: height: 85.6 cm
width: 32.1 cm
mirror: 29.7 × 13.4 cm
In the centre of the composition, which depicts twenty-eight figures, the Amida Buddha floats down from the clouds. The figures in the retinue descend from the left of the image, all of them turning slightly towards the right as they hasten before the deceased. At the top and bottom of the picture, a further twenty-five Buddhist deities accompany Amida, most of them heavenly musicians whose various instruments are depicted.