Axial Commons Image Treasury
Hanging scroll of a seated woman in robes playing a lute on a rock, with a large moon and waves below, on gold ground.

Benten on a rock by the sea

A hanging scroll shows a seated female figure in flowing robes playing a biwa lute atop a craggy rock. A large pale moon glows behind her, and waves break in white foam at the base of the rock against a golden ground.

Artist
Unknown
Date
18th century?
Medium
Color and gold on silk panel
Source
Smithsonian (National Museum of Asian Art)
Size
1535 × 3999 px
Download full size
Public domain · Smithsonian (National Museum of Asian Art) releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1810).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art

Español: Benten sobre una roca junto al mar

Un kakemono muestra una figura femenina sentada, con túnica fluida, tocando un laúd biwa sobre una roca escarpada. Detrás de ella brilla una gran luna pálida, y las olas rompen en espuma blanca al pie de la roca sobre un fondo dorado.

Português: Benten sobre uma rocha à beira-mar

Um kakemono mostra uma figura feminina sentada, com vestes fluidas, tocando um alaúde biwa sobre uma rocha escarpada. Atrás dela brilha uma grande lua pálida, e ondas quebram em espuma branca na base da rocha sobre um fundo dourado.

More from The Sea and Ships

Dark engraved landscape of a storm with a small figure in a boat on water at lower left, rocks and bent trees, and a shaft of light through clouds.The Voyage of Life--ManhoodDark etching of a sailing ship with tall masts and a small lit steamer on moonlit water at night.Night LoadingRed-haired mermaid seated on rocks by the sea, combing her long hair beside green-blue waves.Sketch for A MermaidSepia engraving of a classical harbor city with columns, a tiered tower, boats with sails on the left, and figures on steps.A City of Ancient GreecePainting of a river landscape with a small boat carrying two figures, a white-robed figure on the right bank, tall palms, and distant jagged mountains.The Voyage of Life--YouthSmall sailboat on calm water under a glowing orange sunset sky with textured clouds and a dark shoreline in the foreground.Boat on Sea