Ebisu and Benten Walking in the Snow 1763 - 1828

Utagawa Toyohiro's woodblock print presents Ebisu and Benten braving a snowy landscape. Ebisu, the fisherman god of prosperity, carries a basket laden with fish, while Benten, goddess of music and wealth, holds an umbrella, their presence a symbolic wish for fortune and abundance. Consider how the motif of the divine pair echoes through time. We see it reflected in the Roman depictions of Fortuna and Bonus Eventus, or in the protective embrace of a mother goddess figure. In these varied forms, the underlying human desire for security and prosperity persists. The umbrella, a symbol of shelter and status, also appears across cultures, from the canopies held over pharaohs to the ceremonial umbrellas of Buddhist monks, each instance a variation on the theme of protection and authority. The image presents a powerful emotional resonance—a quest for optimism in a world often veiled in uncertainty, an invitation to acknowledge the timeless human quest for a sense of safety. The archetypal figures of protector and abundance persist, adapted and reshaped, but never truly lost.