Kano Eigoku 狩野永獄 (?-?) ,Hotei the Zen Monk, Edo period, Japanese hanging scroll, kakejiku

Art work details

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*From the store
The identity of the artist remains uncertain. However, based on an inscription found on the storage box — attributed to a person named Kanō ● Meisai (狩野●明斎), who also remains largely unidentified — we know that the painter, Eigoku (永獄), lived in the Hikone area of Gōshū (江州, the old name for present-day Shiga Prefecture).

The painting features the figure of Hotei (布袋), a folkloric symbol of happiness and abundance, with delicately drawn lines for his face and limbs, contrasted by bold, expressive strokes for his loose-fitting robe. While such variation in brushwork may have been routine for professional painters of the Kanō school (狩野派) at the time, it is rare to find contemporary artists who can match this level of nuanced execution.

Historical research indicates that modern-day Shiga Prefecture was established in 1872 (Meiji 5), through the merger of the former Shiga region — which oversaw southern Ōmi Province (近江国) — and Inukami Prefecture (犬上県), which had jurisdiction over the north and was the successor of the Hikone Domain (彦根藩). Given the inscription on the box refers to “Kanō Eigoku of Hikone, Gōshū” (江州彦根の狩野永獄), it is likely that Eigoku was active before the prefectural system was formalized — that is, in or before the early Meiji period.

The mounting (hyōsō 表装) appears to be from a later era — likely post-1900 — based on the fabric texture and the degree of aging on the washi backing. It's possible that a former owner had the work remounted due to stains on the painting or deterioration of the original mounting. Even so, the mounting is of fine shōken (正絹 – pure silk), and such craftsmanship is difficult to replicate today.

The textile used for the mounting features embroidered motifs of takara-zukushi (宝尽くし – a traditional pattern representing auspicious treasures), which complements the imagery of Hotei perfectly. The refined aesthetic choices reflect the taste and skill of the mounting artisan of that time.

Notably, the box is an original from the Meiji period and remains in its untouched condition.

The scroll is unusually short in length — a trait often found in the Edo period, when ceilings and thus alcoves (tokonoma) in homes were lower than in later times.

布袋(Hotei/Budai)…
Unknown birth year - 917.
Legendary Buddhist monk who is said to have existed in Mingzhou (present-day Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China) 
from the end of the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties Period.
He is often depicted as a drum-bellied monk with a large bag on his back.
In Japan, he is worshipped as one of the seven gods of good fortune.

Setting weight
This piece weighs 0.6 kg and will be shipped in 60 size.

Material
Ink, Pale Japanese pigments on paper

Size
Overall: vertical 166㎝（65.35 in）× width 27.3㎝（10.75 in）cm＊width does not include roller ends.
(the work: vertical 80㎝（31.50 in）× width 19.4㎝（7.64 in）cm)

Condition
・There are burns, stains, wrinkles on the Japanese paper on the back of the cover.
・There are some burns, wrinkles on the image.
・There are burns, stains, wrinkles, warp in the mounting.

Remarks
・Roller ends is Wooden.
・Box appraised and inscribed by Kano ● Meisai (An inscription on the box from the Meiji period)

Materials for mounting
All of them are made of silk.

Other
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There may be a slight difference in color between the photo and the actual product.

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Biography
Kano Eigoku 狩野永獄 (?-?)

The details of the artist are unknown, but from the inscription on the box, it can be inferred that they were a painter of the Kanō school who lived in Gōshū (present-day Shiga Prefecture).