Ema (Votive Painting) of Chinese Lion Led by Utenō

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This ema depicts the Chinese lion mount of the bodhisattva Monju (Sanskrit: Manjushri) and its handler, the deity Utenō. Written on either side of the image is a text, now partly abraded, which once read: This ema is respectfully presented to the deity on the twenty-fifth day of the third month of the year 1627. Squeezed beneath the lion’s back legs are the (partially illegible) names of four donors. The two names which can be read in their entirety are Gorōsuke and Sanzō. The location of their residence, Nabeyachō, an area only a short distance from the Kōfukuji Temple, appears between the lion’s front legs. The back of the ema has another inscription, now also difficult to make out, which refers to Monju and his wisdom.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art