Here is another marble in which Masa continues his work in expressing in spherical form the traditional culture of Japan.This time it is a HUGE marble, largest from Masa that I've ever sold, that is absolutely packed and loaded with stunning detail. The theme of this marble is Fujin and Raijin. They are the gods of wind and lightning/thunder....God's weather. It is rice season in Japan right now, and the Japanese pray to the Fujin Raijin in hopes of a bountiful harvest, but it is a prayer that is based in the tradition of Japan rather than religious thought. Although they’re feared for their temper as they rival for control of the sky, both gods are often seen as protectors. That’s why they are the guardians of many places of worship in Japan. The best-known example is Sensoji Temple in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood. Their two gigantic statues guard the oldest temple of the Japanese capital city from its gateway, the famous Kaminarimon. One of the best known representations of the two gods of the sky are golden panels made by the artist Tawaraya Sotatsu. This fabulous 17th century work is on display at the Kyoto National Museum with other items from the same period. These gilded panels are known for the arrangement of the scene they depict. Fujin and Raijin are at both ends of the work, which retranscribe the tension between these two brothers. The empty space between emphasizes their rivalry. Masa's depictions on this marble come from this painting and he did an amazing job re-creating it in glass! The base color pigment of this marble color shifts as you move it around and the light catches it. It is wild, and I can't stress enough how much better it is in hand than these pics show. I will get a video of it up on my Instagram page, but even the vid doesn't really do it justice. It's just incredible. This piece also has Masa's latest style of mandala on the backside, his most complex design yet, stunningly beautiful and AMAZING to see thru the kaleidoscopic lens on top. This is an absolute must for any Japanese collection, and is wildly hard to let go of. This piece comes in its own nice padded wooden box, signed on top of the box with the name of the marble in Kanji.