Enthroned Buddha

Description Buddhism, brought to Japan from Korea, became a state religion in the 7th century. New doctrines and sects were subsequently introduced from China, and Japanese monks made their own contributions to Buddhist thought and practice. In Shingon, or "true word," Buddhism, considered an esoteric sect because its doctrines were secretly passed on from master to pupil, monks mentally enter a mandala (a circle of deities) and become each of the deities through inner concentration. This Buddha may be the Buddha of the northern direction in the Diamond Mandala of the Shingon Buddhists, standing for nirvana and for perserverance in the conversion of all beings to the doctrine of Buddhism. It is also possible that he is Amida, the Buddha of the western paradise.

Conservation

Date	Description	Narrative
8/04/1991	Treatment	cleaned; stabilized; mounted
2/28/1994	Examination	examined for condition
1/08/2002	Examination	examined for exhibition

Provenance Yamanaka & Co., New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1920, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Inscriptions [Label] On tag: Y B 1988

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1920