Hotei with Daoist Immortals
late 1600s–early 1700s
Medium
triptych of hanging scrolls: ink on paper
Dimensions
210.2 × 68.6 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Accession Number
1989.8
About this artwork
Hotei was a Chan (Zen) monk living in China during the 900s who became a legendary figure in Japan in the 1300s. At that time a popular cult praising him sprang up, extending beyond Zen to other religious communities. This rare triptych embraces a central Zen icon with flanking Daoist images, thereby suggesting the compatibility, rather than the exclusivity, of these two creeds. Hotei also enjoys popularity in Japan as a kind of folk figure, which explains his mirthful expression in Japanese pai...