Gatten (Candra)

Gatten, the moon god, is called Candra in Sanskrit. Here, he appears in the form of a bodhisattva. Originally, he was an Indian god, but was adopted as one of the Twelve Deities (Skt., devas) of Esoteric Buddhism (J., Mikkyô) and came to be a Buddhist guardian. This image was painted in 1127 (Daiji 2) for the Goshichinichi-no-mishiho (Austerities after the seventh day) ceremony held every New Year's at the Shingon-in Hall on the grounds of the Imperial Palace, in prayer for the peace of the nation. One of the characteristics of this painting is that the deity sits on a felt-covered pedestal. In this scroll, the attendant on the deity's left holds a half moon with a rabbit. In other versions, Gatten himself holds a moon in the palm of his hand or rides on a white goose.

— Museum description: Kyoto National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.