East Asian Buddhist Hanging Scroll, Amitabha Figure

Name: East Asian Buddhist Hanging Scroll, Amitabha Figure
Brand: 564364
Availability: LimitedAvailability

Antique Asian hanging scroll painting on silk showing a standing Buddha in a red robe with gold circular medallions, featuring extensive surface wear.

Estimated value

$800 - $2,500

Rarity

Scarce(6/10)

EAST ASIAN BUDDHIST HANGING SCROLL, AMITABHA FIGURE: IDENTIFICATION

Hanging scroll painting on silk depicting a standing Buddha, stylistically consistent with Amitabha (Amida Nyorai). The deity features a prominent cranial bump (ushnisha) and a dark circular head halo. The figure is draped in a reddish-purple robe decorated with large gold painted floral medallions, standing atop two separate lotus pedestals. The painting exhibits heavy horizontal creasing and structural fatigue typical of antique rolled scrolls.

Compare with other paintings in the archive: Surrealist Painting by William Vandenjoc, Abstract Expressionist Landscape Painting, Winterzon by Ansje Siel (2023).

SCARCITY

Scarce80-90%

CommonLegendary

Genuinely harder to find. Perhaps only dozens come to market annually. Collectors actively watch for these pieces.

Rarity 6/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 16 paintings items at rarity 6 or higher.

Typical Characteristics

Dozens per year at market
Documented provenance valued
Active collector pursuit

Confidence Factors

High prevalence of Japanese Edo-period temple copies replicating Kamakura or earlier Goryeo masterpieces.
Without radiocarbon dating of the silk or pigment analysis, visually separating a heavily worn 15th-century scroll from an artificially aged 18th-century piece via low-resolution photography is highly speculative.

Expert review recommended. Consider consulting a specialist before making purchasing decisions.

How does authenticity detection work?

THE ART SPECIALIST'S TAKE

Asian Art Specialist

East Asian Art Expert

The iconography is clearly recognizable as East Asian Amitabha/Amida, but precise geographical origin (Korean vs Japanese) and definitive dating (14th vs 18th century) requires physical inspection of the silk weave, pigment binders, and mounting hardware.

KEY EVIDENCE

1Presence of large circular floral medallions on a red over-robe, a signature stylistic marker of early Korean and Japanese Buddhist portraiture.
2Severe horizontal creasing and associated pigment loss matching mechanical stress from centuries of scroll storage.
3Iconography of the isolated cranial halo without a full-body mandorla.

UNCERTAINTIES

•Exact dating cannot be established without pigment analysis or examination of the scroll mountings and storage box (hakogaki).
•Image clarity obscures whether the gold detailing is painted gold pigment or applied cut gold leaf (kirikane).

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

→Macro photography of the gold application to document the technique (paint vs leaf).
→Examination of the scroll ends (jiku) and any accompanying wooden storage box for historical inscriptions or temple provenances.
→Radiocarbon testing of a loose silk thread from the backing to establish century of origin.

CONDITION & GRADE

Condition

Extensive horizontal fracturing of the silk support is visible, reflecting centuries of rolling and unrolling tension. Significant pigment loss occurs across the dark background and the fleshy areas of the deity's face and chest.

ART MARKET VALUATION

$800 - $2,500

Updated: May 11, 2026

Who buys this

Curators of East Asian religious art, specialized Buddhist antiquities collectors, and institutions supplementing pan-Asian survey collections.

What increases value

•Legibility of the gold pigment patterning
•Firm dating to earlier periods (pre-1600s) verified by scientific testing
•Documented provenance tracing back to specific temples or known Meiji-era collections

What lowers value

•Severe pigment loss on the face disrupting the deity's expression
•Extensive modern remounting that crops the original silk margins
•Lack of customary wooden storage box (tomobako)

What makes top-tier examples

•Use of elaborate cut gold leaf (kirikane)
•Scientific confirmation tying the silk baseline to the Muromachi period or earlier

Grade & condition

Condition in antique silk scrolls is driven by the stability of the mineral pigments, severity of horizontal stress fractures, and freedom from active mold or foxing.