Benzaiten

This work is an embodiment of the mythological image of Benzaiten (弁才天), one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan.
​In Shinto tradition, Benzaiten is the kami (deity) of “all that flows”: water, rivers, music, eloquence, wisdom, and, by extension, wealth. She is the patron of the arts and geishas.
​The composition, in which the goddess emerges from a shell, reveals her deepest connection to the aquatic realm and the sea, her mythological cradle. The image is inextricably linked to water, and sea serpents and dragons are often considered her messengers.
​The opals and seahorses in this piece serve not merely as decoration, but as symbolic attributes, reinforcing the goddess’s connection to her divine maritime kingdom.
​Mammoth tusk, opals, inlay (eyes).
​Coloring: Kuchinashi (gardenia fruit), Yashabushi (alder cones), Silver Nitrate, Walnut dye, “burning needle” technique.
​Size: 2 inches in diameter, 1/2 inch thick.
2008. Private collection, USA.