Buda Amida Nyorai (Amitabha) sentado, madera tallada con laca y dorado, icono devocional doméstico, 21 cm

Gentle eyelids, long ears and a perfectly balanced face draw this Amida Nyorai into stillness, the calm promised by the Pure Land. Carved in wood under lacquer and surviving gilt, the 21 cm seated Buddha bears the layered surface of years in daily practice, a household icon meant to be lived with.

The Piece

This calm, inward-facing Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha) is compact in scale yet striking in presence, an ideal size for a private altar, shelf shrine or contemplative study corner. The sculpture presents the serene, symmetrical facial plane associated with Amida: softened eyelids, a balanced nose line and elongated ears that visually slow the face, reinforcing the Pure Land promise of peace through steadiness and repetition.

Over the body, the remnants of gilding and lacquer read as time-layered devotion rather than simple wear, the surface of an object that has likely lived within someone's daily practice, receiving light, incense and attention over many years. It belongs to the deep Japanese tradition of compact devotional sculpture, small enough to live with yet rich enough to carry a full cosmology, and it rewards study of Buddha proportions, lacquer wear and small-icon carving conventions.

The raised right hand suggests a reassurance or fear-not gesture, associated with protection, calm and blessing, while the left hand rests low toward the lap in a receiving posture. Because exact finger positions vary by workshop and with later touch-ups, the reading is an iconographic family resemblance rather than a strict mudra classification.

Amida Nyorai is the Buddha of Infinite Light, central to Pure Land Buddhism. In Japan he is associated with compassionate rescue and the promise of rebirth in the Pure Land for those who entrust themselves to his vow. Household Amida icons serve as daily focal points for calm, remembrance and gratitude; this one fits a shelf shrine, cabinet altar or contemporary interior without the need for a full butsudan.

Details

• Era: Vintage household devotional sculpture (broad range)
• Origin: Japan
• Material: Carved wood with lacquer and pigment layers; surviving gilt-toned finish (observed)
• Measurements: 16.5 × 12.3 × 21 cm (approx.)
• Subject: Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha), seated
• Gesture: Right hand raised in a reassurance (fear-not) variant; left hand low toward the lap in a receiving posture

Condition

Remnants of gilding and lacquer with surface variation from years of display and devotional use; the patina reflects long presence rather than a new decorative finish.

Authenticity & Care

Identification as Amida Nyorai is held with high confidence from documentation and visual fit; the mudra reading is of medium confidence pending close-up detail of the fingers, the dating is of low-to-medium confidence within a broad vintage range, and the wood, lacquer and gilt materials are consistent with observation, subject to in-hand confirmation. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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