Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara)

Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This painting of Amida (Sanskrit: Amitâbha) receiving the soul of the warrior Kumagai Naozane (1141–1208) is based on a dream recorded by the founder of the Pure Land sect, Hōnen (1133–1212). Naozane's taking of the tonsure after dutifully but ruefully killing the young Taira no Atsumori at the battle of Ichinotani during the Genpei War is one of the most affecting stories in Japanese war lore. Unique to this version of the raigō (welcoming descent) theme is the addition of the returning procession in the upper section. The sinuously curved composition of Amida's heavenly host amid the earthly and ethereal landscapes shows the complexity and beauty that Kamakura-period Buddhist painters achieved with the human form.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara)Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara)Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara)Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara)Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara)

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.