Welcoming Descent of the Amida Buddha Triad

the Buddhist art of the Kamakura period in Japan (1185-1392) is one of the great religious arts and this thirteenth century painting on silk mounted as a hanging scroll is an elegant and fine example; the Descent of Amida (raigo) is represented; Amida Buddha is one of the leading gods of Buddhism whose cult enjoyed great power from the ninth century; he is usually shown, as here, descending to receive the adorer's soul, for he promises blissful and luxurious life in the next world; in the Mann painting he is accompanied by two divine attendants, the Bodhisattvas Sishi, shown adoring, and Kannon, shown with the Lotus Pedestal; similar but rather inferior figures to these appear in a celebrated early thirteenth century hanging scroll in the Senrin-ji, Kyoto; the Mann scroll is especially splendid not only for the refinement of its draughtsmanship, but for its color; on a muted black background, the figures are gold, the red lines of form being incisions through the gold leaf to the red ground; a light raw ochre halo surrounds Amida's head, the clouds are pale lavender; the use of color is thus austerely restricted, and there are only a few other touches Amida's lips are scarlet, there are pink and white ribbands and some of the precious stones of the jewelry are picked out in dull tints; the richness of the gold, especially against the black, makes for a stunning effect, and the precision of the tense, flowing drawing, incomparably skillful and delicate, can be contemplated with endless pleasure