The bodhisattva Ashvaghosha (Memyo), from the scroll set Selections of Iconographic Drawings (Zuzosho)

Mounted as a hanging scroll, this is a fragment from the fifth of a set of handscrolls of Buddhist figures. On the right side is the last part of the text concerning a bodhisattva known in Japan as Menmyo. The scene illustrates Menmyo in his role as a protector of silkworm raising.

A native of India, Menmyo was originally named Ashvaghosha and was a Buddhist philosopher. In China he came to be associated with silk production, and he later gained popularity and status in Japan.

In this painting the six-armed Menmyo holds a scale in one hand as he sits on a lotus pedestal atop a white horse. His other hands hold silk thread, a silk reel, and a sacred flame. Menmyo is accompanied by a groom and a group of attendants, all identified with names relating to silkworm raising. Facing Menmyo on the left side of the painting is a praying man in the garb of a Chinese official. The figures stand on a cloud that trails behind them and partially frames Menmyo.