ted with a special coloring method called ungen-saishiki, in which a color repeatedly goes from dense to diffuse, diffuse to dense that was used in the Nara and Heian (794-1185) periods.
Kisshoten’s full cheeks and elegant, crescent-shaped eyebrows also lend a serene and mature grace to her heavenly nature. The renowned Japanese photojournalist, Ken Domon, also famous for his images of Buddhist temples and statuary, exalted this statue as, “the most beautiful woman in Japan.”
You may notice that the goddess clutches a jewel in her left hand. This nyoi-hojo (wish-granting jewel) is tied to her image as a deity who bestows fortune and happiness to those who confess and repent their sins. This jewel helps identify Kisshoten and distinguish her from another Japanese goddess, Benzaiten, who is often conflated with Kisshoten and later overtook her in popularity around the 15th-16th century. Benzaiten is adapted from the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who holds a biwa (a traditional Japanese lute), and is regarded as a patron of art and music.