Goddess Benzaiten

A MAGNIFICENT VINTAGE LARGE HEAVY BRONZE SIGNED CASTING OF THE GODDESS BENZAITEN. OVER 65 YEARS OLD.

A RARE COLLECTORS TREASURE

Benzaiten clothed in flowing robes playing the biwa. A finely detailed superb casting of the Goddess, one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan.

Benzaiten (弁才天, 弁財天) is the Japanese Goddess of love, beauty, eloquence and music, as well as a sea Goddess.
Her name is written in Kanji two ways: 弁才天, meaning “Dispenser of Heavenly Wisdom,” and 弁財天, meaning “Dispenser of Divine Wealth.”
Other names include Benzaitennyo (弁才天女, meaning “Goddess who dispenses wisdom”), and as a kami (a type of god or spirit in the Shinto religion), she is known as Ichikishima-hime-no-mikoto (市杵島姫命, “Heavenly Princess Ichikishima”).
Another of her names is Myoonten, or “Goddess of Wonderful Sounds.”

According to the monk Kokei (977 to 1049), Benzaiten is depicted as the third daughter of the Dragon-King of Munetsuchi, the lake that lies at the centre of the world in some Buddhist cosmologies.
However, her background changes depending on the context, though most accept her Indian origin.

In many tales she is the slayer of Vritra, a serpent from the ancient Indian text the Rig Veda.
Her husband was a wicked dragon whom she reformed, and she is often shown riding one. Dragons and their smaller relatives snakes are sacred to her and snakes are often her messengers.
Benzaiten is also linked to Kwannon or Kwan Yin, the Bodhisattva of compassion in Buddhism.
She commonly appears as a woman dressed either as a courtesan or nun, carrying her biwa and sometimes cloaked in various Buddhist halos and other holy symbols, both physical and spiritual.

Refer Large Images for details and condition Depending on your computer monitor / phone / etc colour may vary to actual.

Condition: Excellent for age some rubbing
Signed: Hozan
Height about: 41.5 cm
Width about : 23 cm
Weight about 7.0 kg
A$1400