Amitabha

Amitabha, the Buddha of infinite light, is believed to dwell in the Western Paradise, a pure land where the faithful can be reborn. He is sitting in the lotus position, soles of the feet upwards, with hands in the gesture of meditation and a facial expression of deep concentration. His throne is in the form of an open lotus flower, the upper row of petals pointing upwards towards Amitabha. His five-peaked crown encircles hair arranged in rows of tight curls, rising to a large protrusion or ushnisha, a sign of wisdom and enlightenment. He wears floral ear jewellery.

Amitabha came to the V & A as one of a pair of figures, slightly under life-size. His companion figure is a lotus-bearing deity, probably the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.