Ceremonial covering cloth, "Seven Gods of Good Fortune"
19th century
This 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.
Cloth with paint
27 3/8 x 24 3/4in. (69.6 x 62.9cm)
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
44.92
