Title:
Japan: The Wind God Fujin. Detail from a screen by Ogata Korin (1658-1716), colour on gold leafed paper, c. 1700
Caption:
Fujin or Futen is the Japanese god of the wind and one of the eldest Shinto gods. He is generally depicted as a terrifying wizard-like demon carrying a large bag of winds on his shoulders. In Japanese art, the deity is often depicted together with Raijin, the god of lightning, thunder and storms. Ogata Korin (1658 – June 2, 1716) was a Japanese painter of the Rinpa school. He was born in Kyoto, to a wealthy merchant who had a taste for the arts. Korin also studied under Soken Yamamoto, the Kano school, Tsunenobu and Gukei Sumiyoshi, and was greatly influenced by his predecessors Hon'ami Koetsu and Tawaraya Sotatsu. 'Wind God and Thunder God' by Ogata Korin is a replica of Tawaraya Sotatsu's four panel folding screen of the same title ('Fujin Raijin Zu), Kyoto, early 17th century.