The Bodhisattva Monju
date: label: Date
content: 13th century
label: Period
content: Kamakura period
notes: label: Label
content: The bodhisattva (enlightened being) known in Japanese as Monju Bosatsu (or Manjushri in Sanskrit) is a Buddhist deity who represents wisdom. Paintings of Monju often show him riding a lion and holding a sacred scripture (sutra) in the form of a book or scroll. Here he holds in his left hand a lotus, a symbol of purity, which is surmounted by a book. In his right hand is a weapon to protect against ignorance and evil. Monju is often depicted with the bodhisattva Fugen, who rides an elephant and represents teaching, meditation, and practice of the Buddha. Together they are attendants to the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, but each bodhisattva is also individually worshipped.
label: Provenance
content: To 1905
label: Provenance
content: Yamanaka & Company, to 1905 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1905 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1905 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] Undated folder sheet note. Also see Original Kakemono List, pg. 143, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Words of Wisdom: Buddhist Calligraphy from Japan (April 1, 2023 to February 25, 2024)
label: Exhibition History
content: Spreading the Word (May 18 to November 12, 2018)
label: Exhibition History
content: Religious Art of Japan (December 18, 2002 to January 4, 2015)
label: Exhibition History
content: Buddhist Art (May 9, 1993 to August 9, 2011)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art (July 1, 1974 to April 10, 1978)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art: Painting and Sculpture (July 1, 1966 to May 2, 1973)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art (January 1, 1963 to July 1, 1966)
label: Exhibition History
content: Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 1 and 2 (February 25, 1956 to January 1, 1963)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Paintings (October 25, 1955 to November 23, 1955)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art (October 3, 1947 to February 25, 1956)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Hanging Scrolls, Ceramics, and Sculpture (October 2, 1947 to January 23, 1951)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Ceramics and Painting (May 2, 1946 to October 2, 1947)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Paintings Buddhist Etc. (January 5, 1928 to December 8, 1941)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Paintings and Sculpture (May 2, 1923 to January 5, 1928)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: Japan
topic: label: Topic
content: Buddhism
label: Topic
content: lion
label: Topic
content: Kamakura period (1185 - 1333)
label: Topic
content: Manjushri
label: Topic
content: sutra
label: Topic
content: Japan
label: Topic
content: halo
label: Topic
content: Mahayana Buddhism
label: Topic
content: kakemono
label: Topic
content: Japanese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1905.292
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Ink, color, gold, and silver on silk
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 129.6 × 56.7 cm (51 × 22 5/16 in)