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Unknown Maker, Chinese

Amitābha Buddha

Maker

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Culture

Chinese

Title

Amitābha Buddha

Period

Ming

Year

1609

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

color, ink, gold

Supports

Geography

Origin: China

Dimensions

Overall with mount: 201.1 x 104.1 cm (79 3/16 x 41 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Inscription: 大明萬曆己酉年
慈聖皇太后繪造
Translation: Painted [on the order of] Empress Dowager Cisheng, in the jiyou year of the Wanli era [1609] of the Great Ming

Seals: The large imperial seal under the inscription in the upper right corner appears to be that of the Wanli Empress Dowager, Li shi (1546-1614)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

18.093

Type

Publications

  • Journal

Manual / Issue 18: Nature

 RISD Museum’s Manual 18 Celebrates Nature

In our [Chamoru] culture, inafa’maolek is our most important value. It roughly translates as “to make good for each other.” Inafa’maolek teaches us that all things are connected and related, including people, environments, and all species. Because all things are interwoven, we must always act with guinaiya and respetu, love and respect.  

–Craig Santos Perez, introduction

Manual 18 explores human interactions with the natural world, from frank awe and deep appreciation of the immediate moment to eternal questions and ancient unfinished business. This issue of Manual complements the exhibition Being and Believing in the Natural World, co-curated by Gina Borromeo, Wai Yee Chiong, and Sháńdíín Brown, on view at the RISD Museum now through May 7, 2023.

Exhibition History

Being and Believing in the Natural World
Perspectives from the Ancient Mediterranean, Asia, and Indigenous North America
Oct 22, 2022 – Jun 04, 2023

Label copy

Seated on a grand throne, the Amitābha Buddha gazes contemplatively at viewers. Embellished with vivid colors, this dynamic image was designed to inspire awe, enveloping devotees in radiance and light. Commissioned by the empress dowager Cisheng (1545–1614) of China, this image works within a set of paintings made for a ritual that unites celestial and terrestrial beings. This rite, known as the Water-Land Retreat, is still held by some Buddhists today as a celebratory event or to appease evil spirits. Even divorced from its original context, this painting evokes a special aura, inviting viewers to visualize themselves as part of a space shared with the divine.

—WC

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Chinese
Amitābha Buddha, 1609
Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Overall with mount: 201.1 x 104.1 cm (79 3/16 x 41 inches)
Museum Appropriation Fund 18.093

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