Monju on a Lion
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
- 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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