"The Wind and Thunder Gods" by Tawaraya Sotatsu Kyoto Kaho Japan

Kyoto Nishijin textiles originated in the 5th and 6th centuries and established their foundation in the 15th century, and are produced through more than 20 specialized processes.

Tawaraya Sotatsu was a 16th-century Japanese painter of the Edo period. He is highly regarded as the originator of a new trend in Japanese art. His new style, which sublimated Japanese painting with unique techniques, was later respected by artists such as Ogata Korin and passed down through generations as the "Rimpa" school. The "Wind God and Thunder Gods" were primitive deities that deified natural phenomena in ancient India, and were later incorporated into Buddhism, where they were believed to protect the Buddha's teachings, to do good and evil, to regulate wind and rain, and to bring good harvests. The wind god, who blows wind out of his tare and gallops through the golden sky, and the thunder god, who thunders and generates lightning by striking his heavenly drum, are dynamically depicted in this painting. The black clouds give an excellent sense of mass, further emphasizing the infinite depth of the pure gold leaf. The artist's extraordinary sense of color is evident in the use of white (the god of thunder) and green (the god of wind) to depict the paired deities in harmony and balance. This "Wind God and Thunder God" was exquisitely woven on a special loom that is four to nine times more delicate than ordinary Nishijin brocade, using pure gold leaf, gold thread, and white thread for the gold leaf parts.