Geho Hashigo Zuri (Daikoku, God of Wealth, Shaving Head of Fukurokuju, God of Longevity)
17th century
The syncretic god known in Japanese as Daikoku is a version of the Hindu deity Mahākāla, a wrathful emanation of the god Shiva, incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon as a guardian figure, transformed in China, and subsequently introduced to Japan in the 800s. In Japan, he became associated with the native Shintō deity known as Ōkuninushi-no-kami and came to be counted as one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. He is commonly shown carrying a large sack in his left hand and a mallet in his right, while standing atop two bales of rice. In Ōtsu-e, he is often shown climbing a ladder to shave the large head of Jurōjin, another of the Seven Gods, who is derived from the Chinese Daoist god of longevity.
Ink and color on paper with clay and shell wash
13 1/16 x 9 in. (33.1 x 22.9 cm)
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
49.251
