Description
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.
Provenance
(Yamanaka & Co., sold to Edward L. Whittemore); Edward L. Whittemore [1862–1930], Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–1930); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1930–)
Accession Number
1930.177
Medium
color woodblock print
Dimensions
Sheet: 29.2 x 21.7 cm (11 1/2 x 8 9/16 in.)
Classification
Credit Line
Bequest of Edward L. Whittemore
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