#43

Kawanabe Kyōsai
(1831 – 1889)

Hotei nesoucí děti přes řeku

Hotei carrying children across the river
#43

Kawanabe Kyōsai
(1831 – 1889)

Hotei nesoucí děti přes řeku

Technika
barevný dřevořez (nishiki-e)
Rozměr
47,5 x 34,5
Sold for
4 000 Kč
Galerie Arcimboldo, sro
Galerie Arcimboldo, sro
Starting price: 4 000 Kč
16. 11. 2025 18:00

Basic info

technika
barevný dřevořez (nishiki-e)
rozměr
47,5 x 34,5
Datace
1870 - 1885

About

This design shows Hotei, the god of contentment and good fortune, joyfully wading through water while carrying a sack full of children. The subject belongs to the iconography of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune (Shichifukujin), yet Kyōsai treats it with humorous exaggeration and light caricature, typical of his late Meiji style. The contrast between the laughing children and the benevolent, somewhat weary deity embodies Kyōsai’s playful moral tone: true wealth is found in generosity. Kyōsai produced both printed and hand-painted versions of this composition, responding to increasing Western demand for Japanese painting in the 1870s–1880s. The present example is a woodblock print; closely related nikuhitsu paintings on silk and paper are also documented.

You might also like

Explore more items from this selection, guaranteed to stimulate your senses and spark your imagination.
Show the entire selection