2-742-144 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Statue of Amitabha, 800s. This small sculpture shows Amita, the Buddha of the Western Paradise and the focus of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism, which was popular across East Asia, including Korea. Amita is recognizable from its standing, frontal pose, its right hand raised palm out in a gesture that reassures viewers to have no fear. The aesthetics of the Shilla period are reflected in the sculpture’s modest size, appropriate for an aristocrat’s private worship, and the use of gilt-bronze, exemplifying the popularity of gold at the time.