अमिताभ त्रय

Amitabha Triad

Amitabha Triad, the 1400s

Cleveland Museum of Art: Korean Art

Size: Overall: 40.6 x 16.5 x 54.6 cm (16 x 6 ½ x 21 ½ in.)

Medium: bronze with traces of gilding

This rare bronze triad from the 1400s shows अमिताभ, Amitābha (아미타불 in Korean), or the Buddha of the Western Paradise, seated on a lotus pedestal at the centre. He is flanked by two sacred attendants, क्षितिघर्भ [Kṣitigarbha] (지장보살 in Korean) on his left and आर्याअवलोकितेश्वर，āryā-Avalokiteśvara (관음보살 in Korean) on his right. The combination of these three Buddhist deities was particularly popular in the early Joseon period. The small scale suggests that this triad might have been displayed in a personal shrine rather than a large worship hall.