China, Northern Qi dynasty (550–577) / c. 570s
Seated Amitayus Buddha
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Seated Amitayus Buddha as sculpture (China, Northern Qi dynasty (550–577) · c. 570s).
The stringlike folds of the Buddha's draperies emphasize his monumental, rigidly erect torso and tubular limbs.
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The museum identifies this sculpture as marble.
The museum's collection notes: Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, is seated in meditation on a double lotus pedestal. The pedestal was not made with the statue but the combination is faithful to the original artistic conception. The statue is an extremely rare example of a major type of Northern Qi Buddhist sculpture. The heavy, massive front highlights the sense of monumentality and the spiritual essence of the Buddha. Today the sculpture is united with a pedestal that exhibits the rich, ornate style of early Tang sculpture. It was commissioned by the Duke of Liang, Fang Xuanling (578–648), for the blessing of his second son and daughter-in-law, the Tang imperial prin
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtSeated Amitayus BuddhaOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.