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Lot Essay
The Buddha Amitayus is the Buddha of Infinite Life, from 'amita' meaning infinite and 'ayus' meaning life. While the current figure's hands are joined in the dhyana mudra (a gesture of meditation), they would also have held a jar containing amrita, the elixir of immortality. Amitayus, who is closely linked to the Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, was an especially popular deity amongst Tibetans. This Buddha was depicted either in simple monk's robes without jewellery or crown, or as the crowned Amitayus, like the one discussed here, who was particularly revered by the Chinese and Mongols.
The figure of Amitayus, with his association with long life, would have been a perfect imperial birthday gift either for the emperor himself or for his grandmother. Indeed it is recorded that Kangxi's grandson, the Qianlong emperor, bestowed on his mother a set of nine Buddhas and a complete set of Amitayus figures on the occasion of her sixtieth birthday, while various figures, including Amitayus, in multiples of nine (a rebus for eternity) were presented by the Qianlong emperor on her seventieth birthday. For the Qianlong emperor's own sixtieth birthday ten thousand figures of Amitayus were made (see Rawski, op. cit., p. 273.)
The figure of Amitayus, with his association with long life, would have been a perfect imperial birthday gift either for the emperor himself or for his grandmother. Indeed it is recorded that Kangxi's grandson, the Qianlong emperor, bestowed on his mother a set of nine Buddhas and a complete set of Amitayus figures on the occasion of her sixtieth birthday, while various figures, including Amitayus, in multiples of nine (a rebus for eternity) were presented by the Qianlong emperor on her seventieth birthday. For the Qianlong emperor's own sixtieth birthday ten thousand figures of Amitayus were made (see Rawski, op. cit., p. 273.)