The Seven Gods of Good Luck
Part II
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Title: Description: The seven
gods of good fortune in a ship Date: c. 1839-1842 Publisher: Chô (phonetic reading of 長) NOTE: This triptych
bears the signatures of Kuniyoshi, Kunisada and Eisen. It was said that placing a print of the
seven gods of good fortune under one’s pillow during the New Year season
could cause the ship to sail into one’s dreams, resulting in good fortune.
(McKee, Daniel, The Gifts of the 'Treasure Ship' in Essays in Honor of Robert Schapp, Society for Japanese Arts, The
Hague, 2013, p. 19) |
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Title: None Description: Hotei leading
a parade of children holding lanterns Date: 1840 Size: Chûban (about 7 by 10 inches or 18 by 25
centimeters) Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei |
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Title: The seven
gods of good luck opening a cave in the rocks (Shichifukujin
iwato no kurakai, 七福神岩戸の蔵開) Description: Kurakai is a New Year ceremony reopening a sake
brewery. Here it is being compared to
a Shinto legend with Bishamonten opening
Amaterasu’s Cave, returning light to the world (Ama no Iwato).
Date: 10th
month of 1856 Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei |
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Title: The Seven
Gods of Good Fortune (Shichifukujin) Description: Date: 11th
month of 1859 Publisher: Maru-ya Tokuemon |
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An alternate state of
the above design with a yellow background |
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Title: Treasure for
the Warehouse of the 7 Lucky Gods (七福神宝の蔵入) Description: The seven
gods of good fortune with anthropomorphized mice bearing offerings Date: 1847-1852 Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke |
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Title: Dragging all the Good Luck Together (Uke fukubiki
no zu, 有卦福曳の図) Description: Fukurokuju, a god of luck, wealth, and longevity–the
first character of his name is 福 fu, meaning fortune or good luck. He holds a fundo
(lucky talisman), to which are tied a host of things whose names start with
"fu". Some include Fuji Musume (the Wisteria Maiden), the god Fudô
Myô-ô, the lucky couple Fukusuke and Fukujo, fukuro (a silk
pouch), fukube (a gourd), futon (a cushion),
fukura suzume
(a puffed-up sparrow), fukujoso (the lucky
flower phoenix-eye), and fukuro (an
owl). In the background are Fujisan
(Mt. Fuji) and cranes (Fukurokuju’s companion bird). Date:
4th month of 1858 Publisher: Ebisu-ya Shôshichi |
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Title: None Description: Fukurokuju hitting his enormous head on a lantern at the
entrance of a temple, while the other gods of good fortune laugh Date: 1847-1848
(censors Hama and Kinugasa) Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei |
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Title: Description: The seven
lucky gods as Raikô and the four heavenly kings (shitennô) at Mt. Oe. Fukurokuju is Shutendôji, Benzaiten as a captive, the children are oni, Ebisu and Daikoku
are dancing as Shutendôji drinks the charmed
sake. The others sit and watch with
the packs they wore as disguised ascetic monks (yamabushi) behind
them. Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô |
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Title: Many
Countries’ Bumper Crops Go into the Tribute Storehouse (Shokoku
hônen ko no kurairi, 諸国豊年 貢の蔵入) Description: Daikoku harvesting gold coins, while Fukurokuju
and Jurôjin bale.
Ebisu and Hotei are tallying, while Bishaomonten
appears to be taking a break.
Benzaiten is preparing either food or a drink. Date: 1851 (censors
Mera and Watanabe) Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi |
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Title: Feast
Welcoming Treasures for the New Year (Hime hajime
takara no yomei-iri, ひめはじめ 宝のよめ入り) Description: Six of the
seven lucky gods with Fukujo and Fukusuke Date: 10th
month of 1856 Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei |
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Title: Lucky Gods’
New Year Calligraphy (Fukujin kakizome, 福神書初) Description: The seven
gods with Kuniyoshi’s signature next to the Daikoku
who is painting while the other gods look on.
The signatures of Kuniyoshi’s students appear next to the other gods. Date: c. 1839-1841 Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei |
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Title: 士濃職商 七福神豊年遊 Description: Actors with gods of good fortune
coming off a hanging scroll Date: 1843-1846 (censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô I am grateful to
Julius Tüting and Robert Pryor for locating this image. |
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Description: A surimono
of minogame (thousand-year-old tortoise)
appearing to the seven gods of good luck all dressed as figures from Japanese
history and legend Size: Nagaban
(approximately 8 by 20 inches or 20 by 50 centimeters) Date: c. 1836 |
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Description: A surimono
of the seven gods of good luck imitating the five annual festivals. Size: Horizontal
double ôban; 38.1 x 51.6 cm (15 x 20 5/16 in.) Date: 1832-1833 Publisher: Iga-ya Kan’emon Schaap: 1.b.5 NOTE: This surimono bears the signatures of 10
different artists. Only Bishamonten, in the bottom center, is signed by
Kuniyoshi. |
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Description: A surimono
of the seven gods of good luck being entertained by a chanter Size: 40.6 by 55.8
centimeters Date: |
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Description: Daikoku and Fukurokuju with a
paper lantern and calendar Size: About 38 x 52
cm (dai ôban) Date: 1919 NOTE: I am grateful
to Robert Pryor for this
posthumous reproduction of a Kuniyoshi print. |
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Description: Daikoku and Fukurokuju with a
paper lantern and calendar Size: 38 x 52 cm (dai ôban) Date: Taishô era NOTE: This posthumous reproduction of a Kuniyoshi
print is a lithograph. I am grateful
to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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“Robinson” refers to listing of the series in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). CLICK
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