The Bodhisattva Monju (Manjushri) with Five Topknots

Unidentified

Not on view

This painting portrays a variant form of the bodhisattva Monju known as Monju with Five Topknots (Gokei Monju). He is imagined as a boy sitting cross-legged on a lotus pedestal atop a lion. He carries a sword, used to cut through ignorance, and a lotus, above which hovers a scroll representing the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. The five topknots symbolize five buddhas who are said to embody five types of cognition.

The Bodhisattva Monju (Manjushri) with Five Topknots, Unidentified Artist, Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan

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The Bodhisattva Monju (Manjushri) with Five Topknots, Unidentified Artist, Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan
The Bodhisattva Monju (Manjushri) with Five Topknots, Unidentified Artist, Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan

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