Benzaiten弁財天
Arts and learning · wealth · good relationshipsThe only goddess among the Seven Lucky Gods. Known for playing the biwa lute and originally said to be an Indian river goddess, she has long been worshipped as the goddess of the arts, learning, wealth and good relationships.
The hair ornament is my own design. I built its shape from the auspicious hexagon and drew it so that light seems to shine from her head itself.
For the white robe, I researched patterns using Muromachi-period textile materials, then redrew and multiplied the flower-and-vine pattern by hand. For the red parts I drew, in my own way, an auspicious pattern combining lotus flowers and vines.
I also placed hexagons and moons on the biwa. I painted her with the wish that, as she plays, good vibrations spread across the ship and into every room where the painting hangs.
Main patterns on the robes and biwa
- Hexagonal hair ornament
- An original design based on the hexagon, linked to the kikko pattern, a symbol of long life and good fortune.
- Hana-karakusa (white robe)
- Flowers and vines redrawn from a Muromachi textile. Vines that stretch without end stand for long life and prosperity.
- Renge-karakusa (red robe)
- The lotus blooms pure from the mud and is a symbol of purity, a flower deeply tied to the water goddess.
- Moons and hexagons on the biwa
- Crescent moons, hexagons and lotus on the face of the biwa, with the wish that its music spreads good vibrations.
- Hagoromo (celestial robe)
- A thin, sheer cloth flowing around her like the robe of a celestial maiden.
* The blessings and meanings of the patterns are based on long-held tradition and are not a guarantee of any effect.
