Hanagasaren shichifukujin
c. 1820
Medium
nishikie, with metallic pigments
Dimensions
176; 199
About this artwork
verzamelaarsmerk, passe-partout, links onder, gedrukt: JABdH met een haan.
Art Historical Context
**Hanagasaren Shichukujin** is a delicate woodblock print by Katsukawa Shuntei, a prominent ukiyo-e artist of Japan's late Edo period (c. 1820). Shuntei, from the esteemed Katsukawa school known for vivid actor portraits and genre scenes, captures the Seven Lucky Gods (*shichifukujin*)—benevolent deities like Ebisu, Daikokuten, and Benzaiten—in a playful, floral motif suggested by the title, evoking scattered blossoms (*hana gasaren*). These figures, symbols of fortune and prosperity, were beloved in popular culture, often featured in New Year's greetings or surimono prints commissioned for el...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shuntei · 1770–1820
Katsukawa Shuntei (1770–1820), originally named Yamaguchi Chōjūrō, was a versatile ukiyo-e printmaker of Japan's Edo period under the Tokugawa shogunate. His early life remains sparsely documented, but by the late 1790s, he had entered the prestigious Katsukawa school, studying under the master Katsukawa Shun'ei, who led the school following the death of founder Shunshō. Shuntei's earliest authent...