Polychrome Seated Amitayus Buddha

This 19th-century wooden prayer figure is carved in the likeness of Amitayus, the Buddha of Eternal Life, also known as Amitābha, one of the five Cosmic Buddhas of Esoteric Buddhism. The only celestial Buddha to earn his place through karmic effort, Amitayus represents longevity, discernment, and the transformation from greed to discriminating wisdom.

Amitayus is seated here with his hands in the dhyana mudra, the Gesture of Absolute Balance, in such deep meditation that objective consciousness has been removed. He wears a five-point crown and is draped in flowing robes colored by red, black, and gold pigments, now well worn from time. Placed upon an altar table or set within a shrine, the figure provided a focal point for prayer and guided meditation. The cavity in the figure's back once held consecration materials, such as a small paper scroll bearing a hand-written prayer.