Tawaraya Sōtatsu "Wind God and Thunder God"

During the early Edo period, the renowned artist Tawaraya Sōtatsu created what is considered his masterpiece, the national treasure "Wind and Thunder Gods" (Fūjin Raijin-zu), which is currently housed at Kennin-ji Temple in Kyoto. This artwork depicts the Wind God and the Thunder God confronting each other amidst a sky of gold leaf.

The Wind God and Thunder God are deities that came to Japan from China along with Buddhism, symbolizing wind and thunder, respectively. Sōtatsu is said to have depicted only these two deities, who are considered attendants to the Thousand-Armed Kannon at Sanjūsangen-dō Temple.

Using pure gold leaf, the artwork was meticulously woven and framed. Sōtatsu's innovative technique, known as "tarashikomi," where colours are applied one over the other before drying, is believed to have been employed for the clouds upon which the deities ride. This technique is also finely expressed by Nishijin-ori artisan. Each intersection of the weft and warp threads, which remains invisible to the naked eye in Asagi's ultra-fine woven artwork, is meticulously planned and executed to achieve this blurred effect.

With genuine gold leaf

Size:
H. approx. 51.0cm  (20.1 in.)
W. approx. 85.5cm  (33.7 in.)
D. approx. 3.0cm  (1.2 in.)