Tibet, Amitayus (30)

Amitabha is the only tathagata whose sambhogakaya form (princely/bodhisattva appearance) is a separate entity. Usually known as Amitayus, which means ‘infinite life’, he is sometimes referred to as Aparamita – from the Aparamita Ayu Jnana sutra. Unlike Amitabha, who normally holds a bowl in both hands, Amitayus holds a vase of longevity. Other Buddhist long-life deities are White Tara and Ushnishavijaya (see on HAR ).

13th-14th century, Tibet, Amitabha, brass with silver and copper inlay, 45,7 cm, private collection, Images of Devotion lot 1847, 1st December 2023, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

15th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with turquoise and lapis lazuli, 20 cm, private collection, Zhantan Lin: The Highlights of Buddhist Art lot 574, China Guardian (Hong Kong).

1400-1499 AD, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt metal, private collection, photo on HAR

Undated (circa 15th century?), Tibet, Amitayus, gilt metal (with turquoise inlay, cold gold, pigments), private collection, photo on Himalayan Art Resources

14th-15th century (or later?), Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay, private collection, Arts d’Asie lot 54, 16th December 2015, Sotheby’s (Paris).

The ample dhoti loosely covering the legs and the silk shawl draped around the elbows are unusual for a pre-16th century Tibetan sculpture.

15th-16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze, 16,5 cm, private collection, Arts of Asia Online lot 19, 28th September 2023, Christie’s

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay, private collection, as before, lot 57.

Undated (circa 18th century), Tibet, Amitayus, bronze, size not given, private collection, photo on HAR

From a series of late sculptures depicting him seated on a triangular cushion, adorned with a single leaf tiara, princely jewellery, and a sash draped tightly across his chest in the Nepalese fashion (see below).

18th century, Tibet or Nepal, Amitayus, bronze (with remains of gilding), 13,2 cm, private collection, Important Chinese Art lot 50, 11th May 2022, Sotheby’s (London).

17th century (or later?), Tibet?, Aparamita, 20 cm, Northern Himalayan Gallery on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal.

18th-19th century, Tibet?, Amitayusha, gilt bronze with stone inlay, photo on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal.

18th century or later, Tibet, Amitayus, bronze, 17,1 cm, Arts of Asia Online lot 215, 29th March 2023, Christie’s

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Circa 15th century, Tibet, Amitayus, bronze, 12,3 cm, private collection, Asian Art Auction 809 lot 118, 7th July 2022, Nagel

Amitayus, who always has a bodhisattva appearance, normally holds a long-life vase in both hands. The above has an effigy of buddha Amitabha – of whom he is an aspect – in his hair.

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Amitayus, bronze (with replacement turquoise?), 13 cm, private collection, Auction OA091111 lot 43, 9th November 2022, Olympia Auctions

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay, 13 cm, private collection, Indian and Southeast Asian Art lot 99, 14th September 2010, Christie’s

A most unusual image of a princely figure with a long-life vase in his left hand, the right one holding a rosary and the stem of a flower while making the gesture of debate.

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze and stone inlay, 12,7 cm, private collection, Indian and Southeast Asian Art lot 320, 22nd March 2011, Christie’s

17th century (or later?), Tibet, Amitayus, bronze with a copper bead on the vase, 5,3 cm, private collection, Asian Art Auction A207AS lot 106, 28th November 2023, Koller

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12th-13th century, Tibet, Amitayus, painted clay, 310 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 863 pl. 199A, at the Nyethang monastery (Tibet).

Amitayus, the sambhogakaya aspect of Amitabha, is always depicted with a bodhisattva/princely appearance and holds a vase of longevity in both hands (often missing from portable sculptures).

13th century, Tibet, Amitayus, brass, 36,2 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part IV, lot 9, 6th October 2023, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

15th-16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with stone inlay, 14 cm, Asian Arts lot 57, 18th April 2023, Sotheby’s (Paris).

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Amitayus, bronze, 10,5 cm, Auction 814 lot 144, 12th June 2023, Nagel

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze, 21,8 cm, private collection, as before, lot 141, Nagel .

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt copper alloy with stone inlay and pigment, 18,4 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part IV as before, lot 19.

18th century, Tibet, Amitayus, bronze, size not given, private collection, Chinese Art lot 453, 1st June 2017, Sotheby’s (Hong Kong).

Tibet, Amitayus (28)

Circa 12th century, Tibet, Amitayus, copper alloy, 7 cm, private collection, Arts of India, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas Online, lot 601, 14th March 2023, Bonhams.

12th century, Tibet, Amitayus, copper alloy, 22 cm, private collection, Indian and Himalayan Art Online, lot 816, 11th December 2022, Bonhams (Paris).

16th-17th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt copper alloy, 17,5 cm, private collection, Asian Art at Bruun Rasmussen lot 24, Bonhams (Copenhagen).

Long-life bearer Amitayus wishes you health, peace, and harmony in 2023!

Gyantse monastery, (15th century, Tibet, Amitayus, clay on a wooden armature), photo on Sonya and Travis

Late 15th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze, 17 cm, Art d’Asie lot 27, 8th December 2021, Christie’s (Paris).

18th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt copper alloy and stone inlay, 13,4 cm, Claude de Marteau Collection part II lot 45, 4th October 2022, Bonhams (Paris).

Tibet, Amitayus (27)

14th century, Tibet, Amitayus (labelled ‘Amitabha’), metal (brass with turquoise inlay, cold gold, pigments), private collection, photo on HAR.

Flanked by lotuses that reach the ties of his crown, Amitayus is seated with his legs locked and both hands in the gesture of meditation to support a vase of longevity (or a begging bowl on rare occasions).

14th century, Tibet, Amitayus (labelled ‘Amitabha’), metal (brass with cold gold and pigments), private collection, photo on HAR

14th century, Tibet, Amitayus, bronze, 25,5 cm, private collection, photo on HAR

15th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt metal, private collection, photo on HAR

As we have seen in previous posts, Amitayus is the sambhogakaya aspect of Amitabha, and therefore can only ever have a princely/bodhisattva appearance. 

In Gods of Northern Buddhism, Alice Getty says ‘Amitayus (Dispenser of Long Life) is the name given to Amitabha in his character of bestower of longevity, and the Tibetans, unlike the Chinese and Japanese, never confuse the two forms’.

1354-1642 CE (circa 17th century?), Tibet, Amitayus, bronze with paint, scan nº 794 in the Huntington Archive, at the Tibet House Museum in New Delhi (India).

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14th-15th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze (with turquoise inlay), 14 cm, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s (Paris).

14th century, Western Tibet, Amitayus? (labelled ‘bodhisattva’), bronze, private collection, auction 9390 lot 51, 22nd March 2000, Christie’s.

This is likely to be Amitayus, the princely aspect of Amitabha, seated with his legs locked and his hands cupped to hold a long-life vase now missing.

15th-16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt copper, 23,7 cm, at the gTsug Lakhang in Lhasa, inventory nº 166, photo and details on Ulrich von Schroeder

The lacy border across his chest and shoulders recalls the four-pointed cape worn by some crowned buddhas. He has a half-vajra finial on his chignon.

15th-16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt copper, 15,1 cm, at the gTsug Lakhang in Lhasa, inventory nº 320, photo and details on Ulrich von Schroeder

Tibet, Amitayus (25)

 

16th-17th century, Tibet, Amitayus (labelled ‘bodhisattva’), gilt copper alloy with turquoise and coral inlay, private collection, photo by Christie’s, sale 9949 lot 128, London.

Amitayus has a princely appearance and both hands in the meditation gesture to hold a vase of longevity.

14th-15th century, Tibet or Nepal, Amitayus, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay, private collection, published on Christie’s. Update 01/03/22: 15th century, Sonam Gyaltsen atelier, on HAR

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with (modern) turquoise inlay, private collection, photo on Bonhams.

Seated on a broad-petal lotus seat with an engraved motif on the plinth, this buddha wears a large necklace with a visvajra design and has a black topknot rather than a chignon.

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with stones (most missing), private collection, photo on Christie’s, sale 1878 lot 141.

17th century, (Tibet?), Amitayus (labelled ‘Ratnasambhava’), (gilt) bronze, item 74-295 at the National Museum in New Delhi (India).

18th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze, private collection, photo on Bonhams, San Francisco

Tibet, Amitayus with scarf

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay, private collection, photo on Christie’s.

In a display of creativity, the artist arranged the buddha’s celestial scarf in a singular shape, forming a nimbus behind his head and an inverted omega shape (popular in 13th and 14th century Tibet) below.

15th century, Tibet, Amitayus (labelled Amitabha), bronze, private collection, photo on  Himalayan Art Resources. Part of a set of wisdom buddhas published on HAR.

Towards the end of the 15th century figures in princely attire often wear a celestial scarf or a shawl that forms loops at elbow level and then passes over the forearms.

Circa 17th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze, private collection, photo on Christie’s.

Here the scarf is short and the loops are floating in the air.

Early 16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay, private collection, photo on Christie’s.

This Chinese-style figure, on the contrary, wears a long shawl that flows down to the base.

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, bronze, private collection, photo on Christie’s.

Tibet, Amitayus with a pointed cape

The posts on Amitayus in the Tibetan section of this blog are being updated (links added, repeated images removed, etc.).

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with stone inlay, private collection, photo (of front and back) on Christie’s.

Amitayus, identified by his princely/sambhogakaya appearance, holds his distinctive attribute in both hands. The sculpture displays unusual features such as the shape of the halo formed by his incised scarf, the extremities of the bows connected to it, the jewelled lotus at the centre of the crown, and the large jewelled leaf ornament on his chignon. He wears a small pointed cape, first seen on crowned buddhas from Kashmir and Gilgit.

16th century, Tibet, Amitayus, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay, private collection, photo on  Christie’s.

This figure wears a cloud-shape cape.

17th century, Tibet, Amitayus (labelled ‘Amitabha’), gilt bronze with stone inlay, item 1893, 11010.7 at the British Museum in London (UK).