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antique handcrafted buddhist shrine with amida god statue and temple lucky charm

antique handcrafted buddhist shrine with amida god statue and temple lucky charm

Regular price ¥33,120 JPY
Regular price Sale price ¥33,120 JPY
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Love Japanese Style Like We Do

An antique rustic hand made receptacle for keeping tiles with ancestors names has been used as a zushi, or miniature shrine for displaying a statue of the Buddhist god Amida Nyorai. Together with a temple lucky charm the piece brings positive energy and blessings into your home and is perfect for any meditation or sacred space.

Amida, the God of immeasurable light and limitless life, stands tall on a lotus flower. His position represents his standing pose on descent  from the heavens to fetch his devotees and personally transport them back to his blissful paradise. His hands are in the mudra of raigo, welcoming spirits of the dead.

The statue rests on top of a small wooden box, an omamori, or protective charm from a temple. Inside is a gold metal Buddhist god wrapped in red silk. The Amida statue appears to be made of a resin and has some surface scratches.

The zushi is hand made and has a quaint country charm. It is embellished with rough decorative carvings. The roof detaches and the shrine has some surface peeling.

A nice piece of Buddhist art, with the tranquil ambience of age.

- measures 39 cm (15.3”) tall x 18 cm (7”) across x 11 cm (4.3”) deep.
- god statue measures 15 cm (6”) tall.
- weighs 920 gm.

(listing for Amida Nyorai statue in wood zushi with lucky charm only)

SHIPPING INFORMATION
- please read our shipping policy. 
- we use recycle packaging wherever possible and wrap for safety, rather than appearance!

ABOUT OUR VINTAGE, ANTIQUE AND OTHER ITEMS
We list pieces we feel are worthy of display. There may be scratches, dents, fading and signs of wear and tear. We try to explain the condition of each item exactly, but may miss something.

Information regarding the item and it’s age is obtained from dealers and our personal research. We do our best to give you the correct information but please be aware that we cannot guarantee this information.

Please message us prior to purchase with any questions you may have about our products.

AMIDA NYORAI AND THE PURE LAND
Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth century AD and flourished under the patronage of the imperial prince Shotoku (574–622) and the establishment of the great temples of Horyu-ji near present-day Nara and Shitenno-ji in Osaka. 

Early forms of Buddhism, coming from China and Korea, were mainly Mahayana Buddhist practices that emphasized a concept of universal salvation through elaborate ritual and the worshiping of many deities. By the end of the tenth century, the more accessible and popular practice of Pure Land Buddhism took over.

Pure Land worship centered on the Amida Nyorai Buddha; the Buddha of Immeasurable Light and Limitless Life. Amida presided over a heavenly paradise and promised salvation and rebirth in his paradise for all worshippers. 

Meditation encouraged practitioners to visualise Amida in his heavenly paradise and accumulate religious merit through simple meditation and recitation of prayers or sutras.

Works of art were essential to the Pure Land doctrine and its next-world emphasis on rebirth and salvation. 

Until the twelfth century Amida Nyorai was usually represented seated on a lotus flower; however, during the Heian period (794–1185) and Kamakura period (1185–1333) the concept of raigo (welcoming descent) flourished and Amida Buddha was often represented in a standing pose descending from the heavens to fetch his devotees and personally transport them back to his blissful paradise.

Some distinguishing features of Amida Buddha are the extended lobe on top of his head to accommodate his advanced understanding of the truth, his large ears that allow him to hear all people in need, the rose-coloured crystal among his curly hair that emits rays of light displaying his supreme knowledge, a single white spiral of hair on his forehead indicated by a white crystal to show his love and affection for humanity, and the folds on his neck that indicate compassion for all people. Amida Nyorai holds his hands in nine different positions called mudra. These hand gestures represent the nine possible paths for the dying to enter paradise.

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