The Bodhisattva Five-Topknot Monju (Manjushri) (Gokei Monju Bosatsu zō)

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Depicted here is Monju, the bodhisattva of transcendent wisdom, riding a lion.This particular iconography is referred to as Gokei Monju, referring to his Five topknots. Seated cross-legged atop the lion on a lotus, Monju holds a sword in one hand and the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom Sutra (Sanskrit: Prajnaparamita) in the other. Monju’s pale skin is adorned with gold jewelry and green and pink clothing, even the topknots are tied with a golden string as two halos, blue and green with gold, further mark his divinity. The five top knots he sports represent the Five Wisdom Buddhas: Ashuku (Sanskrit: Akshobhya), Amida (Amitabha), Fukujōju (Amoghasiddhi), Hōshō (Sanskrit: Ratnasambhava), and Dainichi (Sanskrit: Mahavairocana). The lion he rides has malachite fur, golden adornments and four lotus pads that it walks across. In most surviving examples of Gokei Monju, the bodhisattva and the lion face to the left whereas in this case both facing to the right. This is probably the result of the painting’s use as the right scroll of a triptych in which the Historical Buddha Shaka would usually feature as the central figure.

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