{"product_id":"japanse-bronzen-amida-boeddha-kamakura-89-cm","title":"Large Bronze Amida Buddha – Japanese Buddhist Sculpture – 89 cm","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e H 89 × W approx. 75 cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e approx. 60–70 kg\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bronze\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Japanese School\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mid-20th century\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Amida Buddha (Amitābha)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand gesture:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mida no Jōin\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Japanese Buddha Made to Command a Space\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome Buddhist sculptures invite close inspection; others completely change the atmosphere of their surroundings. At 89 cm wide and weighing approximately 60–70 kg, this large Japanese bronze Amida Buddha belongs firmly to the latter category.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Buddha sits in complete composure, with a broad silhouette, lowered gaze and hands brought together in meditation. Despite the substantial scale and weight of the bronze, the sculpture has a remarkably quiet presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Buddha of Infinite Light\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe figure represents \u003cstrong\u003eAmida Buddha\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Japanese form of Amitābha, one of the most important Buddhas in East Asian Buddhism. Amida is particularly associated with Japanese Pure Land traditions and the promise of rebirth in the Pure Land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis identity is reinforced by the distinctive \u003cstrong\u003eMida no Jōin\u003c\/strong\u003e. The hands are held in front of the body in the meditation gesture traditionally associated with Japanese representations of Amida.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eJapanese Daibutsu Influence\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe visual impact of the sculpture comes from a deliberate combination of simplicity and mass. A broad face with half-closed eyes sits beneath tightly arranged hair curls, while elongated ears frame the head. Below, the monastic robe falls across the body in broad sculptural folds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts design belongs to a long Japanese tradition of looking back to the great Buddhist sculpture of the Kamakura period. The relationship is especially apparent in the calm facial modelling, monumental proportions and restrained treatment of the robe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis should be understood as a \u003cstrong\u003e20th-century Japanese interpretation of the Kamakura aesthetic\u003c\/strong\u003e, rather than a sculpture dating from the medieval Kamakura period itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e60–70 Kilograms of Bronze\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the defining characteristics of this Buddha is its extraordinary physical substance. At an estimated 60–70 kg, moving it immediately reveals how heavily the sculpture has been executed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat mass gives the Buddha a permanence that suits its design. It does not have the visual character of a lightweight decorative garden figure; the broad body and deeply modelled surface have genuine sculptural weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAlmost Three Decades Outdoors\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surface has become an important part of the sculpture's appearance. Dark brown, charcoal and muted olive tones move across the bronze rather than forming a perfectly uniform finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis appearance has a straightforward history. The Buddha spent approximately \u003cstrong\u003e28 years outdoors in a private Dutch garden\u003c\/strong\u003e, where rain, moisture, changing temperatures and normal exposure gradually continued the ageing of the bronze surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result works particularly well with the Japanese aesthetic: the bronze does not appear polished or newly finished, but quiet, subdued and visually integrated with natural surroundings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKnown History Going Back to 1998\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Buddha was acquired in \u003cstrong\u003e1998 from Kwan Yin Import B.V. in The Hague\u003c\/strong\u003e for 3,525 Dutch guilders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original purchase receipt was once kept with the sculpture and has been personally seen, although unfortunately it can no longer be located. We therefore mention the known acquisition history while making clear that the original document is no longer available with the piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFor a Garden, Meditation Room or Architectural Interior\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a Buddha that needs space around it. In a Japanese garden it can be positioned among stone, mature planting or water, where the naturally aged bronze feels immediately at home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndoors, the same scale makes it particularly effective in a large minimalist interior, entrance space, meditation room, yoga studio or private wellness environment. Its restrained Japanese design allows it to create a focal point without becoming visually excessive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor collectors, the attraction lies in the combination: a recognizable Japanese Amida iconography, substantial bronze construction, large dimensions, a known European history since 1998 and nearly three decades of natural outdoor ageing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"1stbuddha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58132134134091,"sku":"171","price":5789.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1012\/6170\/5547\/files\/japanse-bronzen-amida-boeddha-kamakura-stijl.jpg?v=1786711558","url":"https:\/\/1stbuddha.com\/products\/large-japanese-amida-buddha-statue","provider":"1stbuddha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}