Statuette of Buddha Amitāyus

Dated to: late Qing dynasty, late 19th century

Materials: brass, varnish, inlaid stones

Dimensions: height: 9 cm, width 7 cm, thickness 4.5 cm.

Made in: Tibet, China or Mongolia

 

Amitāyus Buddha, or the Buddha of Infinite Life, is portrayed with a decoration, a five-jewelled crown, and an ornament of silk ribbons and chains. The image is particularly popular in the Pure Land School of Buddhism. It is also common in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, from which the statue most probably derives. The statue was brought by the Lieutenant Commander Fran Vilfan (Stražišče pri Kranju 1874- Nice 1931) from a voyage to East Asia on board the light cruiser Aspern of the Austro-Hungarian Navy in 1900-1902. The Aspern was sent on a mission to East Asia to help suppress the Boxer Rebellion in China.

The original is kept by his heirs, while a 3-D replica is on display in the Museum.