Manjushri
A Chinese artist's interpretation of an Indo-Nepalese throne surrounds the white figure of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. Chinese textiles and jewels drape fluidly over the body, the red lower garment offering a contrast to the abundance of malachite green that dominates the composition. Swirling clouds of variegated hues around the periphery add to the mystical, almost magical mood of this iconic figure. His hands are in the gesture of imparting the Buddhist teachings, while his posture and expression reveal that wisdom can be perceived through the practice of yogic meditation.
Colors in this work
Details
- Artist
- Unknown artist
- Date
- c. 1500–1550
- Dimensions
- image: height 1.24 m, width 1.073 m; overall: height 3.142 m, width 1.112 m; painting: height 1.248 m, width 1.073 m; overall with knobs: height 3.142 m, width 1.228 m
- Department
- Chinese Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Palette
-
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- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Deities and Holy Figures Both · 99%
The Cleveland Museum of Art identifies the central figure as Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom; the image visibly presents a formal sacred figure in a frontal, iconic composition.
Visual Qualities
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Highly Ornamented Visual · 99%
Curling clouds, jewels, floral motifs, textiles, scrollwork, animals, and architectural throne elements densely cover the composition.
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Patterns Visual · 98%
Repeated cloud curls, floral motifs, textile designs, jewel patterns, and scrolling forms create an extensively patterned surface.
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Symmetrical Visual · 98%
The figure, throne, attendants, animals, and ornamental elements are organized around a strong vertical axis with closely balanced left and right sides.
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Highly Detailed Visual · 98%
The image contains numerous finely delineated details in jewelry, clothing, cloud contours, throne panels, and surrounding figures and animals.
Medium and Techniques
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Hanging Scroll Metadata · 99%
The medium is explicitly identified as a hanging scroll in ink, color, and gold on silk.
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Painting Metadata · 99%
The catalog classifies the object as a painting.
Time Periods
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16th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the painting to approximately 1500–1550, within the sixteenth century.
Geographic Regions
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Chinese Art Metadata · 99%
The work is cataloged as Chinese Art and was made in China during the Ming dynasty.
Materials
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Gold Metadata · 99%
Gold is explicitly listed in the medium description: ink, color, and gold on silk.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Buddhist Art and Architecture Both · 95%
The catalog identifies the subject as a Buddhist bodhisattva and describes an Indo-Nepalese throne; the image visibly presents a richly ornamented sacred throne and Buddhist figure.
Textiles
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Use of Fabric Metadata · 93%
The catalog identifies silk as the support of the painting; the vertically oriented scroll format is also consistent with the image.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Manjushri. Cleveland Museum of Art.
High-resolution sources
- Original TIFF ↗ 4,231 × 4,865 · Cleveland Museum Of Art · Available