Hotei

About this artwork

Ogata Kōrin's *Hotei*, created after 1704 during Japan's Edo period (16151868), captures the joyful spirit of one of the Seven Gods in Japanese folklore. Hote, the rotund god of fortune and, is depicted as a, bald monk often shown with his sack of treasures, embodying abundance and laughter. Kōrin, a master the Rinpa school, his works with bold, decorative flair, drawing from classical Yamato-e traditions while embracing playful, asymmetrical compositions that celebrated nature and everyday delights. This hanging scroll in ink on paper exemplifies the intimate scale and refined brushwork of Edo-era painting. Measuring just 11¼ × 14½ inches, it was designed for selective display in a tokonoma alcove, a practice central to Japanese tea ceremonies and home aesthetics. The minimalist ink medium highlights Kōrin's mastery of fluid lines and subtle washes, evoking spontaneity amid the period's booming urban culture and merchant patronage. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Mary Griggs Burke Collection, *Hotei* reflects Rinpa's enduring influence on Japanese art, blending spirituality with whimsy to bring good fortune to viewers even today.