Bronze
Amitābha Buddha, Kamakura Period
A bronze figure of Amitābha Buddha seated in meditation, cast during Japan's Kamakura period (1185–1333). The figure exhibits the hallmarks of Kamakura bronze casting: crisp detail in the ushnisha and lotus throne, inlaid silver eyes, and remnants of original gilt in the protected recesses of the robes. At 38 cm in height, this is a significant devotional object of the type produced for wealthy patrons of the Buddhist temples of Nara and Kamakura. A thermoluminescence report confirming the age of associated clay core material is available. The piece has been out of Japan since 1898 and thus predates modern Japanese cultural property export restrictions.