Hotei Laughing Buddha Hanging Scroll | Chōraku-zu | Seven Lucky Gods | Ink and Color Kakejiku

A hanging scroll depicting Hotei in full stride — laughing, carrying his treasure sack and gourd, moving through the world without resistance. This kakejiku scroll painting of the seven lucky gods figure Hotei (布袋) is rendered in ink and mineral color on paper, with the inscription 長楽図 (Chōraku-zu, "Figure of Enduring Joy") and a poetic couplet above the figure. The wave-pattern brocade mounting frames the image with considered restraint. A scroll for a tokonoma or any space that holds occasion.

🔹 [ Basic Details ]
• Subject: Hotei (布袋), one of the Seven Lucky Gods (七福神)
• Title inscription: 長楽図 (Chōraku-zu)
• Inscription text: 大牯牛天下事常、笑天下可笑人 (The great bull knows the world's affairs; the laughing man laughs at those who can be laughed at)
• Medium: Ink and mineral color on paper
• Mounting: Full kakejiku mounting with wave-pattern gold-silver brocade borders
• Dimensions: Total length approx. 155 cm, width approx. 61.5 cm
• Condition: Age-consistent toning to paper; mounting intact; image area well-preserved

🔹 [ Cultural & Artistic Insight ]
Hotei is among the most recognizable figures in East Asian art — a monk of perennial contentment, embodying the paradox of the holy fool: he who has given up possession holds everything. The 長楽図 title places this image in a tradition of auspicious painting intended to carry good fortune into a dwelling. The poetic inscription references the great bull of Zen — the fully tamed mind — and frames laughter as the wisest response to human folly. The wave-brocade mounting is a formal choice, anchoring the figure's movement in an ocean of eternity.

🔹 [ Deep-Dive Commentary ]
The figure's posture is the subject. Hotei does not stand still in this image — he moves, leans back, laughs upward. The body language is immediate and physical, entirely at ease with its own weight. The brushwork captures the folds of heavy cloth with confident, unhurried strokes. Color is applied with restraint: the dark robe grounds the composition, while the red sash and ochre bag introduce warmth without competing with the figure's face.

The seal and artist signature at lower left confirm this as a signed work. The inscription's reference to the "great ox" (大牯牛) connects this image to Zen's ten ox-herding pictures — the fully realized mind that no longer needs to seek. That the same figure then laughs at those who cannot see the joke is the scroll's quietest punchline.

The wave-pattern brocade borders (波文錦) are a considered mounting choice: waves suggest longevity, flow, and the persistence of the natural world — appropriate companions for a figure who embodies those qualities.

At 155 cm, this scroll carries presence in a tokonoma alcove or on any wall that can hold a vertical format. The paper has aged to a warm honey tone that gives the image gravity without diminishing legibility.

【基本情報】
• 主題：布袋（七福神）
• 題字：長楽図
• 賛文：大牯牛天下事常、笑天下可笑人
• 素材：紙本著色
• 表装：金銀波文錦表装、掛軸仕立て
• 寸法：縦約155cm、横約61.5cm
• 状態：紙の経年変色あり、表装・画面良好

【文化的背景】
布袋は七福神の中でもっとも親しみやすい存在であり、「笑い」と「豊かさ」の象徴です。長楽図という題は、吉祥画としてのこの作品の性格をよく表しています。賛文に引用される「大牯牛」は禅の十牛図に通じる表現であり、悟りを笑いで包んでいます。

🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ]
• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days
• Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking)
• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials