Tibet / The Buddha Amitayus attended by bodhisattvas / 11th century

Tibet
The Buddha Amitayus attended by bodhisattvas
11th century
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Creator Nationality: Asian; Far East Asian; Tibetan
Creator Dates/Places: Tibet
Creator Name-CRT: Tibet
Title: The Buddha Amitayus attended by bodhisattvas
View: Principal view
Creation Start Date: 1000
Creation End Date: 1099
Creation Date: 11th century
Object Type: Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Materials and Techniques: Distemper on cloth
Dimensions: 54 x 41 3/4 in. (137.2 x 106 cm)
Description: The cult of Amitayus, the Buddha of Eternal Life, was extremely popular in Tibet, as his followers believed that devotion to this Buddha would prolong their lives. Amitayus is shown cradling a jar containing the elixir of immortality in his lap as he preaches to an assemblage of Bodhisattvas (beings who have reached enlightenment but remain earthbound to save mankind) in his heaven. He is flanked by two Bodhisattvas standing on a gentle tribhanga (thrice-bent posture) typical of Indian Art and two tiers of seated Bodhisattvas, all of whom receive his doctrine. The seven figures in the upper register may be Buddhist hierarchs; they wear long-sleeved undergarments, voluminous cloaks, and flat hats, characteristics of eleventh-century Tibetan costume. At the bottom left are two figures, probably the donors of the painting, and on the right is a monk in monastic costume, who possiblly consecrated the thanka (painting on cloth). The monumental volumes of the deities and the slightly naïve rendering of the subsidiary figures are typical of this early phase of Tibetan thankas.
AMICA Contributor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Owner Location: New York, New York
ID Number: 1989.284
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1989
Copyright: Copyright ? 2002 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
Rights: http://www.metmuseum.org/education/er_photo_lib.asp
AMICA ID: MMA_.1989.284
AMICA Library Year: 2002
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright (c) 2002 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All Rights Reserved

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