Monju on a Lion

Shūsei Japanese
late 15th century
Not on view
Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom known as Monjū in Japan, sits cross-legged on the back of his lion vehicle. He appears as a youth in flowing robes, his hair worn long and loose; one of his attributes, a scepter, lies casually on the ground before him. Although this work offers a decidedly carefree interpretation, its iconography is consistent with examples by painters affiliated with the Zen monastery Tōfukuji in Kyoto.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 秀製筆 騎獅文殊図
  • Title: Monju on a Lion
  • Artist: Shūsei (Japanese, active late 15th century)
  • Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
  • Date: late 15th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 32 1/16 in. × 13 in. (81.5 × 33 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 65 9/16 × 19 1/8 in. (166.5 × 48.6 cm)
    Overall with knobs: 65 9/16 × 20 7/8 in. (166.5 × 53 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
  • Object Number: 2015.300.45
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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