The Seven Gods of Good Luck
Part I
(Shichifukujin, 七福神)
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The
seven gods of good luck are Ebisu, Daikokuten (Daikoku), Benzaiten (Benten), Bishamonten (Bishamon), Fukurokuju, Jurôjin, and Hotei.
They are also known as the seven lucky gods, the seven gods of good
fortune, and as the seven gods of happiness.
Their origins are both Buddhist and Taoist. Prints of individual gods of good luck with
other characters may be found with Comic
and miscellaneous individual prints and Comic
and Miscellaneous Triptychs and Diptychs sections. Unless otherwise noted, each panel is about
14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters, a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for his many
contributions to this section. |
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Title: The Seven
Gods of Good Fortune Join Together to Bring Luck (Kaiun shusse gattai Shichifukujin, 開運出世合体七福神) Description: Daikoku (大黒), whose image
is made up of a composite of all 7 gods, displaying his giant golden phallus
and holding a golden mallet (uchide no
kozuchi). Date: 1842-1846
(censor Murata Sahei) Publisher: Fujioka-ya
Hikotarô NOTE: This print is listed in in Kuniyoshi by Basil
William Robinson (1961, Victoria and Albert Museum, London) as series
183. The title may also be translated
as The Seven Gods of Good Fortune Join Bodies and Give Birth to Luck. |
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Title: Description: Daikoku (大黒), whose image is made up of a composite of all 7 gods Date: 1846-1852 Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke |
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Format: kakemono-e (a
vertical diptych approximately 28 by 10 inches or 72 by 25 centimeters) Description: The seven gods of good fortune (Shichifukujin) Publisher: Arita-ya Seiemon Date: 1842-1846 (censor Murata Sahei) |
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A later state of the above kakemono-e published
by Yamashiro-ya Jinbei |
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Another state of the preceding design also published by
Yamashiro-ya Jinbei. |
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Title: Untitled Description: The seven
gods of good luck Date: Publisher: NOTE: This print is
exactly as shown, simulating a painting mounted on silk as a hanging
scroll. It measures about 14 by 5
inches (36 by 13 centimeters), a size known as chûtanzakuban. |
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Title: A picture of
Fukusuke’s procession to the New Year’s Fair (Kanô Fukusuke Toshinoichi
maude no zu, 叶福助 年の市 まうでの図) Text: 年代不詳 梅屋 福の神つれたつ市の買いものも年のかしらを祝ふ Date: 1830s-1846 Publisher: Ise-ya
Sanjirô NOTE: This might be
one sheet from a diptych or triptych showing all seven gods of good
fortune. |
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Title: Gods of Good
Luck (Fukujin, 福神) Description: Fukusuke
performing daikagura juggling accompanied by Ebisu’s drumming, with
Jurojin’s deer sleeping in the background Date: c. 1840-1842 Publisher: Ise-ya
Sanjirô NOTE: This print is signed Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga (一勇斎 國芳戯画, playfully
drawn by Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi). Daikagura
is a traditional Japanese performing art.
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Title: Kinsho no
hito ni-gatsu tôka uke hairu (金性の人二月十日有卦入る) Description: Fukusuke having
difficulty getting the neck wrestling band over his head for a match with
Fukujo. The treasure ship and lucky “fu”
objects are on the table behind them, and a hexagram is above. Date: 1st
month of 1855 Publisher: Kiya Sôjirô |
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Title: The Blessed
Gods of Good Luck Playing (Fukujin megumi-hô asobi, 福神恵方あそび) Description: Daikoku,
Benzaiten, Fukusuke, and ships with treasure sail Date: 1843-1846
(censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Iba-ya
Sensaburô |
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Title: Fukurokuju (福禄寿) Description: Fukurokuju
with auspicious bonsai, character on the scroll is a cursive fuku (福) meaning luck
or fortune. The pine bonsai is
contorted into the same character. Date: c. 1840-1842 Publisher: Arita-ya
Seiemon NOTE: There were oval shaped gold coins in the Edo period. |
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Another state
of the preceding design, also published by Arita-ya
Seiemon |
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Reprint of the preceding design published by Watanabe c.
1940-1942 |
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Title: None Description: Daikoku and
Ebisu, two of the gods of good fortune Date: c. 1831-1832 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya
Tobei |
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Title: None Description: Daikoku and
Ebisu, two of the gods of good fortune Date: Publisher: No seal NOTE: The character on the building is 寳 (hô), meaning treasure,
and the character on the roof end-cap is 大 (ô), meaning big or
great. Therefore, the building is
identified as the gods’ treasure house.
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Title: Description: Daikoku with
a money tree Date: c. 1840-1842 Publisher: Arita-ya
Seiemon |
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Title: Description: Daikoku and
Ebisu Date: c.
1839-1842 Publisher: Izumi-ya
Ichibei I am grateful to Wilhelm Vanhala for this image. |
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Title: Description: Ebisu with
fish and gold coins Date: c. 1840-1842 Publisher: Arita-ya
Seiemon |
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Title: Enoshima
Benzaiten (江の島弁才天) Description: Enoshima Benzaiten
with auspicious bonsai in the shape of the character fuku (福) in a pot
decorated with the Chinese seal character version of the same Date: c. 1840-1842 Publisher: Arita-ya
Seiemon |
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Title: The Gods Daikoku and Ebisu Fooling Around (Fukujin asobu Daikoku Ebisu,
福神遊, 大黒恵比須) Description: The lucky
gods having fun in the water Date: c. 1840-1842 Publisher: Jôshû-ya
Kinzô NOTE: The size of this print is unknown. |
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Title: The Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin, 七福神) Description: The seven
lucky gods with children Date: c. 1839-1842 Publisher: Jôshû-ya Jûzô Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga ga (一勇斎 國芳 戯 画) NOTE: “Giga” means comic print. |
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“Robinson” refers to listing of the series in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).
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