Dakiniten, the Buddhist Manifestation of the Shinto Deity Inari, late 14th century, Unknown Japanese, 26 7/16 ¡Ñ 15 1/4 in. (67.15 ¡Ñ 38.74 cm) (image)59 1/2 ¡Ñ 21 13/16 in. (151.13 ¡Ñ 55.4 cm) (with rollers), Ink and color on silk, Japan, 14th century, Buddhism officially entered Japan in the mid-500s, and by the 800s, Japanese Buddhists had developed a theory that kami, native gods, were incarnations of Buddhist deities. The figure of Dakiniten in this scroll exemplifies Buddhism¡¦s ready assimilation of native gods. In Hinduism, a ??kin? is a female spirit or deity who eats the flesh and heart of humans nearing death. In Japan, the deity entered the Buddhist canon as a converted Hindu goddess, Dakiniten. Dakiniten was further conflated with the Shinto kami (deity) Inari, who was associated with abundance, especially of rice. Here, she is shown riding a white fox, another representation of Inari. The fox¡¦s legs are wrapped in snakes, a reference to another converted Hindu goddess, Benzaiten.