Bodhisattva of Wisdom (Manjushri)
Unknown Artist
1400s
Medium
Gilt bronze with precious and semiprecious stones, gum tempera, and cold gold
Dimensions
78.1 × 67.6 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
1964.370
About this artwork
This image depicts one of the main bodhisattvas, beings only one stage away from full enlightenment. Because the historical Buddha was a prince prior to his renunciation and life as a wandering ascetic, bodhisattvas are depicted as royal princes. This example has the sharp features, sweet expression, and crisp details characteristic of images made in Nepal during the 1400s. In his upraised right hand Manjushri holds the hilt of a sword that, like wisdom itself, metaphorically cuts through and de...