Kun Gyokusho
Hotei and Fukurokuju, 19th Century
Ink on paper, two-panel folding screen

Inscription: Kun Gyokusho, at the lower outer corner of each panel.
Seal: Kun
{Image size: 40 5/8 x 22 5/8 inches (103.2 x 57.5 cm), each panel}.
{Overall size: 45 5/8 x 25 3/4 inches (115.9 x 65.4 cm), each panel}.

The screen depicts Hotei on the left and Fukurokuju on the right, two of Japan's Seven Gods of Good Fortune. Hotei appears with a cheerful expression and a large sack, while Fukurokuju is distinguished by his elongated forehead and staff with an attached scroll. Their gently humorous expressions and the spacious composition give the figures an engaging presence.

The assured brushwork has an archaic simplicity, with rounded, substantial lines conveying the weight and fullness of the robes. Broad ink strokes contrast with finely observed facial features, hands, and accessories. This balance of expressive brushwork and carefully articulated detail exemplifies a distinctive tradition of Japanese ink figure painting, in which character and physical presence emerge through an economical use of line.

This painting will be published in Time Well Wasted: Five Hundred Years of Japanese Ink Painting, by Jingwei Zeng, published by Michaan's Auctions and Center for Asian Arts.

Provenance: From an important family collection in Danville, California. Michaan's Auctions is grateful for the family's generous support in presenting this work.

For condition report and additional photos, please contact the Asian Art Department.