2-740-016 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Seated Amitabha, late 1500s-early 1600s. This magnificent Buddha, called Amitabha (literally, "infinite light") is seated on a lotus pedestal with both palms facing up over crossed legs, suggesting that it is in a deep meditation. Originally, this scroll was acquired by the museum as a Korean work, but has now been reattributed as Ming period Chinese. One of the major reasons for this reattribution is that contemporaneous Korean works mostly depict this deity giving a sermon, surrounded by a large retinue of Buddhist guardians and celestial beings, rather than meditating. Stylistic elements that emphasize ornamentation, such as a chain of flying flames on its body halo and a multitiered throne festooned with colourful floral and geometric patterns also confirm the current reattribution.