The descent of the Buddha Amitabha (Amida raigo)

阿弥陀来迎図 一幅 絹本着色 鎌倉～室町時代 14世紀

The painting depicts the Buddha Amitabha, known as Amida in Japan, ready to come down to earth to take the soul of a newly deceased person back to the Western Paradise. This kind of painting was widely commissioned by devotees of Pure Land Buddhism, who favored images of the Buddha Amida on a lotus pedestal with both hands held in the gesture of descent: thumbs and forefingers touching to form a circle. The sumptuous rendering of the Buddha reflects the splendors of paradise. For the Buddha's robe, a series of delicate patterns in cut gold foil was applied to the silk surface.