Ceremonial covering cloth, "Seven Gods of Good Fortune"
Date19th century
Maker
Japanese
Label TextThis elaborately painted cloth depicts the Shichifukujin, a group of seven deities with origins in India, China and Japan. This grouping of seven lucky gods dates only to the Edo period (1603-1868), yet several of these figures appeared earlier in history as Buddhist, Daoist and even Hindu deities. There are Jurojin and Fukurokuju, gods of wisdom and longevity, whose exaggerated foreheads and long beards recall the Chinese sage Shoulao. Kichijoten and Bishamonten, both associated with wealth, were originally Indian deities who entered the Buddhist pantheon. Daikoku, shown here with his attributes of radish, rat, mallet and rice bale, is an Indian import while Ebisu, a protector of fishermen, descends from native Japanese deities. Chubby Hotei, the god of happiness, originated as a 10th-century Chinese monk.
Object number44.92
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art, December 22, 2012 - July 21, 2013Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection
Dimensions27 3/8 x 24 3/4in. (69.6 x 62.9cm)
MediumCloth with paint
Object number: 83.8
Indian
ca. late 10th century
Object number: 66.10
log in
