Jodo Shinshu Amida Triad (Standing Amida + Zendo Shonin + Hosen Shonin) — Carved Wood with Gilt Surfaces and Lotus Bases, Large Central Icon (47 cm) with Two 30 cm Attendants

Curatorial Overview

This is an altar-ready Pure Land triad: a large standing Amida Buddha centered between two lineage teachers (Zendo Shonin and Hosen Shonin). As ritual architecture, the triad preserves hierarchy and transmission in one coherent set: the vow and refuge embodied by Amida, stabilized by lineage continuity on either side.

A triad is ritual architecture made portable. This composition centers on Amida Buddha, flanked by two historical lineage figures, creating a complete devotional grammar: the transcendent vow (Amida) anchored in lived transmission (teachers who embody and carry the teaching). In household sanctuaries and diaspora settings, triads matter because they preserve hierarchy, focus, and lineage memory in a single, coherent set.

The central icon presents as a tall standing Amida with a halo-like mandorla and a lotus base. The surface reads as gold-toned gilding, with polychrome accents visible in the lotus pedestal. The attendants, Zendo Shonin and Hosen Shonin, stand smaller but still substantial at approximately 30 cm each. Their scale is important: not miniature helpers, but fully legible figures that hold their own presence beside the central Buddha.

In institutional terms, this is a high-utility acquisition: a complete altar-ready set that immediately upgrades a butsudan or sanctuary shelf. It is also historically meaningful, because it is not only a Buddha icon but a statement of doctrinal continuity. Amida is the vow and refuge; the lineage figures are the bridge that makes practice intelligible across generations.

IDENTIFICATION & ICONOGRAPHY

What this triad represents
- Center: Amida Buddha (Amitabha), the Buddha of Infinite Light associated with the Pure Land vow.
- Flanking figures: two lineage teachers associated with the Pure Land tradition in Japan, placed as attendants to express transmission and doctrinal clarity.

Why lineage figures appear with Amida
Pure Land devotion is not only a personal sentiment; it is a disciplined tradition carried by teachers, commentaries, and communal practice. A triad that pairs Amida with lineage figures frames devotion as both refuge and lineage continuity.

Micro-glossary
- Amida Buddha: the central object of Pure Land devotion; icon of vow, refuge, and compassionate saving power.
- Triad: a structured devotional set that establishes center, support, and transmission.
- Lotus base: symbolizes purity and awakening; the Buddha stands “unstained” by the world.

Collector-safe language
The identification of the flanking figures is consistent with the listing’s stated names. Workshop, date, and regional school are not asserted without documentation.

Dimensions (Approx.)

• Central figure (Amida): H 47 cm × W 15.5 cm × D 10.8 cm
• Attendants (each): H 30 cm × W 8.5 cm × D 6.7 cm

Materials

• Carved wood figures with gold-toned gilded surfaces
• Polychrome accents (notably on lotus components)
• Separate pedestal bases per figure

Condition

Conservatively described as minor rubs and light soiling with no major damage noted. Gilt and polychrome surfaces are abrasion-sensitive; preservation-first care is recommended (dry dusting only; no solvents or wet cleaning).

HS Code Guidance

• Common: 4420.10
• Alternates used by brokers: 4420.90; 9703.00