Embroidered icons like this one are thought to have been hung up during memorial services for the departed and in the final moments of one’s life, placed beside their deathbed. Human hair is used to embroider the seed syllables (Skt. bīja; J. shuji) serving as the icon’s triad of Amida (Skt. Amitābha) and bodhisattva attendants; perhaps it is the hair of the person memorialized in the rites for which this work served as the principal object of worship. The composition is entirely embroidered, and the blue mounting above and below is original.
NAITO SakaeEnglish by Mary Lewine
Buddhist Art Paradise: Jewels of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2021.7, p.337, no.153.
Amida-nyorai (Amitābha) triad in Sanskrit symbols
Silk, embroidered
H 69.3, W 25.2
Kamakura period 14th century
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| Accession Number | 856-0 |
|---|---|
| Category | Decorative Arts |
| Provenance | Formerly kept in Sainan-in at Taima-dera temple, Nara |
| Bibliography | Buddhist Art Paradise: Jewels of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2021.7, 354p. Threads of devotion : national treasure : the Taima Mandala Tapestry and embroidered Buddhist imagery : commemorating the completion of conservation work : special exhibition. Nara National Museum, 2018.7, 319p. Women and Buddhism. Nara National Museum, 2003, 263,xviip. (Japanese) Illustrated Catalogue of the Collection of Nara National Museum: Buddhist Implements. Nara National Museum, 1992, 121p. (Japanese) |