The Bodhisattva Monju Riding His Lion, Accompanied by Followers 文殊菩薩騎獅像および侍者立像もんじゅぼさつきしぞうおよびじしゃりゅうぞう
Description
These figures were worshiped at Kōfukuji, a historic temple in the ancient city of Nara. They depict Monju, the Buddhist god of wisdom, miraculously crossing the sea with his followers. According to legend, he journeyed from China to bring salvation to the people of Japan. The tame lion he rides is said to represent the calming power of wisdom.
Data source
ColBase
"ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan" is a service that enables a multi-database search of the collections in the four national museums (To...
Contents holder/Provider
Aggregator
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) comprise four National Museums (Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum) and two National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties), as well as the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) in Sakai City, for a total of seven institutions.
Last updated
March 30, 2026