曽我蕭白筆 寿老人図|The God of Good Fortune Jurōjin
ca. 1773
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 52 3/4 x 22 5/16 in. (134 x 56.7 cm) Overall with mounting: 81 1/2 x 28 1/2 in. (207 x 72.4 cm) Overall with knobs: 81 1/2 x 30 3/4 in. (207 x 78.1 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fishbein-Bender Collection, Gift of T. Richard Fishbein and Estelle P. Bender, 2011
Accession Number
2011.572.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant Edo period (1615–1868), Japanese artist Soga Shōhaku (1739–1781) created this striking hanging scroll, *The God of Good Fortune Jurōjin* (ca. 1773). Shōhaku, renowned for his eccentric and dynamic style blending ukiyo-e woodblock influences with bold, expressive brushwork, depicted Jurōjin—one of the beloved Seven Lucky Gods (Shifukujin)—as a symbol of longevity and wisdom. Often shown with a tall forehead and staff, Jurōjin here shares the scene with auspicious companions: cranes for long life, deer for prosperity, turtles for endurance, and perhaps a boat evoking safe journeys...
About the Artist
Soga Shōhaku · 1730–1781
Japanese, 1730–1781