Seated Amitabha with Attendantsc. 1100s · Study 2000.68

Context from the museum

The red Buddha of the West, Amitabha, seated in meditation on his throne, is flanked by bodhisattvas. Above are two rows of monks who transmit his teachings, and along the bottom is a row of six adepts, skilled practitioners of magic and the recitation of mantras to reach enlightenment quickly. In front of his throne are the three flaming jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, his teaching ( dharma ), and the spiritual community ( sangha ). Its unfinished state reveals the fluid and accomplished ink drawing delineating all the forms. This painting is one of the earliest surviving thangkas—devotional Buddhist paintings on cloth. It is from the region ruled by the Guge kings of western Tibet from the 900s to 1600s, now partially within the national borders of India.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Seated Amitabha with Attendants is 62.9 cm wide and 78.2 cm high, equivalent to approximately 24.8 × 30.8 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.80:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.49 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 21.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 118.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Seated Amitabha with Attendants in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera and ink on sized cotton, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 62.9 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?