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Amida Buddha, the Buddha of boundless light, resides in a Pure Land where anyone who calls on him is welcomed. By commissioning works of art such as this, followers hoped to gain favor and salvation. A seated Buddha like this one would have once formed part of a shrine in a Buddhist temple or in a devotee's home. The shrine would have been adorned with other sculpted Buddhist figures.

Notice the dark color covering most of the figure. For more than three hundred years this Buddha sat in the smoke of burning incense. The smoke darkened the sculpture, and most of the original gold pattern is now missing or covered.

The Buddha sits in a meditation pose on a high lotus throne that symbolizes his purity. Look at the figure's gestures. He sits with hands in his lap in a gesture of concentration called the Jo·in or "mudra of meditation". Notice the dot in the middle of his forehead. This is an urna, or the third eye, and represents the quality of seeing everything in its true nature.

This sculpture is made of a number of joined wooden pieces, with particular care and attention given to the Buddha's head and face. Through the use of naturalistic and decorative effects, the Pure Land sect sought to appeal to everyone regardless of class or status.

The donor of this sculpture, Mrs. Cora Timken Burnett, collected a rich assortment of Asian arts. In 1957 her artworks from China and Japan were bequeathed to the Museum. Members of Cora's family funded the original construction of the Museum, then named the Fine Arts Gallery.

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