Youth as a Stand-in Monju
Medium
color woodblock print
Dimensions
29.2 × 21.7 cm
Classification
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Edward L. Whittemore
Accession Number
1930.177
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
In this image, a handsome young man replaces the Buddhist figure Monju, a bodhisattva—or enlightened being—often shown riding a lion. Monju symbolizes wisdom and customarily holds a sword and a sacred text atop a lotus flower. The youth here meditates instead on his tobacco kit and a long pipe. The print was once paired with another, showing a young woman replacing Fugen, a bodhisattva who rides an elephant.