The bodhisattva Manjushri, one of set of three

In this painting, the bodhisattva Manjushri (Japanese: Monju Bosatsu) sits crowned and bejeweled on a lion, his standard mount. An attendant leads the lion. The deity holds a wish-granting wand instead of his usual implement (a double-edged sword). His delicately patterned robes feature designs in cut gold leaf (kirikane) and richly colored mineral pigments.

This painting of Manjushri is left-hand one of a set centered on Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha (Japanese: Shaka Nyorai). In artworks Manjushri and the bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Japanese: Fugen Bosatsu), seen in the right-hand painting, often flank the Buddha.

In Japanese Buddhism, the saintlike beings called bodhisattvas aid the faithful in attaining enlightenment and manifest on earth the Buddha's great teachings and virtues. Manjushri embodies the wisdom of the Buddha and of enlightenment.