Daikokuten
Japonista Dictionary › Ten
Daikokuten (大黒天), the Great Black One, has one of the most remarkable life stories of any Japanese deity. He began as Mahākāla, a fierce dark form of the Indian god Śiva, became a guardian of monastery kitchens, and ended as one of the most cheerful of the Seven Lucky Gods, beaming on his rice bales with a sack of treasure.
| Japanese |
大黒天, Daikokuten; Daikoku-sama |
| Sanskrit |
Mahākāla |
| Rank |
Deva; one of the Seven Lucky Gods |
| Recognise by |
A soft hood; a mallet of plenty in the right hand; a large sack over the left shoulder; standing on two rice bales |
| Messenger |
The rat |
From guardian to lucky god
The Tendai founder Saichō is said to have enshrined Daikokuten in the kitchen of his monastery on Mount Hiei, and temple kitchens across Japan followed. Because the name Daikoku can also be read as Ōkuni, the god merged with Ōkuninushi, the Shinto deity of the land and good harvests. The fierce black guardian softened into a plump, smiling figure of abundance.
Identifying Daikoku
The lucky Daikoku wears a round hood and loose clothes, holds the magic mallet, uchide no kozuchi, which pours out treasure with every shake, and carries a great sack of riches. He stands on two bales of rice, and rats, his messengers, often nibble at the grain. A rarer esoteric form, Sanmen Daikoku, has three faces combining Daikoku, Bishamonten and Benzaiten.
Daikoku and Ebisu
Daikoku is often paired with Ebisu, and the two gods of plenty, land and sea, were set together on household shelves by merchants and farmers throughout the Edo period.
Collecting notes
- Daikoku figures are made in every material, from carved wood and bronze to porcelain, netsuke and solid gold. The mallet is a separate piece in many wooden figures.
- Pairs of Daikoku and Ebisu, and complete sets of the lucky gods, are especially sought after.
In the collection
Search the collection for Daikokuten or browse the Seven Lucky Gods. Our collector concierge can search Japan for a particular image.
See also
