Statue of Amitabha, Korea, Unified Silla per.iod (676-935), 9th century. Gilt bronze. Overall: 22.5 x 7.2 x 7.2 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1998.79.

Small statues like this work were designed to be portable, rather than to be permanently housed in a Buddhist temple.

This small sculpture shows Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Paradise and the focus of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism, which was popular across East Asia, including Korea. This deity is recognizable from its right hand raised palm out in a gesture that reassures viewers to have no fear.