Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom

China · 1600–1799

THK · C618C0

Origin: China
Period: 1600–1799
Category: Appliqué
Medium: Silk appliqué and embroidery
Dimensions: 406.4 × 233.7 cm
Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Deities: Akshobhya · Sudhana · Manjushri

Notes

This monumental appliqué shows Manjushri with his identifying attributes—a sword and book on adjacent lotuses—riding a blue lion. Manchu rulers, especially Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736–95), revered this bodhisattva; the Suzhou imperial workshop likely fabricated the piece as a gift to a Tibetan monastery. Various silks were used: silk strips to suggest the volume of the folds in his garment and couched silk cords to delineate the lion’s mane and tail. Above, the blue Buddha Akshobhya attests to Chinese familiarity with Tibetan conventions. At lower left is the pilgrim Sudhana, the ideal devotee who receives teachings from Manjushri.