Kitao Shigemasa 北尾重政

Parody of child as Fukurokuju (Mitate fukurokuju)

Maker

Attributed to Kitao Shigemasa 北尾重政 (Japanese, 1739–1820, b. in Edo, Japan)

Title

Parody of child as Fukurokuju (Mitate fukurokuju)
The Seven Gods of Good Fortune
Shichifukujin

Period

Edo Period

Year

1780s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

ink and color

Supports

Geography

Place Made: Japan

Dimensions

Sheet: 38.7 x 26.2 cm (15 1/4 x 10 5/16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signature: unsigned

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Bequest of Isaac C. Bates

Object Number

13.1369

Type

Exhibition History

Happiness and Longevity
Deities of Good Fortune in Japanese Prints
Dec 05, 2003 – Feb 29, 2004

Label copy

This boy watches the contest of two miniature sumo wrestlers on his fan. Hotei’s usual attributes are ingeniously combined here. His leaflike fan, the same as those used by referees in sumo bouts, would have suggested the portrayal of children, the god’s

customary companions, as heavyweight champions. Their huge bodies also contain an allusion to Hotei’s renowned corpulence.

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Attributed to Kitao Shigemasa 北尾重政 (Japanese, 1739–1820, b. in Edo, Japan)
Parody of child as Fukurokuju (Mitate fukurokuju); The Seven Gods of Good Fortune; Shichifukujin, 1780s
Polychrome wood block print
Sheet: 38.7 x 26.2 cm (15 1/4 x 10 5/16 inches)
Bequest of Isaac C. Bates 13.1369

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