The god of luck Fukurokuju on the cloud | Kanō Isen'in 狩野伊川院 | 1775-1828

In Japan, a group of seven lucky gods of Chinese origin are worshipped, especially at New Year. One of them is Fukurokuju - a laughing old man who is so wise that his head has grown straight up. (The box is labeled "Jurōjin", however - the two lucky gods are similar and are often confused.)

Fukurokuju with the high forehead is a frequently used subject; Japanese painters loved to use it to depict the face of a good-natured, warm-hearted old person. In his hand he carries the "fragrant jewel" (hōju), which symbolizes the realization of one's deepest wishes (in the Buddhist sense). The Fukurokuju in this depiction is floating on a cloud, which is very special. As a rule, no god in Japan is depicted as a being floating on clouds. Actually, only in the raigō motif (when Buddha descends from heaven with his court orchestra) do the angelic beings glide down on clouds to a dying person, playing music, to pick him up and guide him to heavenly realms. This unusual setting here of Fukurokuju helps the viewer to concentrate fully on his peaceful and amiable facial expression.

Isen'in is one of the great, respected artists of the Kanō school, which as an institution shaped the world of painting in Japan for five hundred years. All of the rich and powerful in the country commissioned works of art from Kanō masters to appropriately decorate their residences. The best of them were heads of the Kanō workshops in the various cities. Isen'in was the 7th head of the Kobikichō studio in Edo (Tokyo), and was the official painter of the shogunate. His works can be found in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the National Museum in Tokyo, the Freer Gallery in Washington and other Asian art collections around the world.