Youth as a Stand-in Monju
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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.
