Figure of Hotei
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Clay covered with a thin glaze (Bizen ware, Imbe style)
Dimensions
H. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Colman, 1893
Accession Number
93.1.78
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the cheerful **Figure of Hotei**, a delightful 18th-century ceramic sculpture from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). Hotei, one of the beloved Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin), embodies abundance, happiness, and good fortune. Often portrayed as a plump, laughing monk with a sack of treasures and a large belly symbolizing wealth, this figurine captures his jovial spirit, inviting museum visitors to rub his tummy for luck—a tradition still cherished today. Crafted in the renowned Bizen ware tradition from the Imbe style in Okayama Prefecture, the piece is made of durable clay fired at high...