Benzaiten
The Goddess of Music in Japanese Mythology
This embroidery focuses on Benzaiten, the Japanese goddess of music, talent, water and health. A multifaceted figure often depicted with four arms, she is shown here playing the biwa instrument. The sakura branches and the crane motif—both common in traditional Japanese art—serve as references to Japanese aesthetics. Because of her association with seas and lakes, the hem of her robe transforms into waves in this embroidery. Benzaiten is the only female deity among the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) of Japan.
Collection: The Musician Goddesses Series
Technique and Medium: This work on Ödemiş silk employs silk shading, backstitch, stem stitch, satin stitch, couching stitch, detached chain stitch, straight stitch, and French knot techniques. The embroidery incorporates cotton mouliné threads and silver metallic thread.
Dimensions: 25 × 23 cm (height × width)
Inspiration: This embroidery draws inspiration from the traditional iconography associated with Benzaiten.
Pipa
Pipa is a traditional Chinese instrument with a pear-shaped body and four strings. It is closely related to the Uyghur berbap instrument. The instrument depicted in the embroidery is the Japanese biwa, which traces its origins back to the Chinese pipa. Played with a wooden plectrum (bachi), the biwa appears in Japanese epic narratives and ceremonial contexts, and is often associated with the goddess Benzaiten.