A Parody of the God of Good Fortune (Fukujin takara awase)

This Chobunsai Eishi print, recorded on ukiyo-e.org via the Art Institute of Chicago under reference 101138, depicts a parody of the god of good fortune. The full title, Fukujin takara awase, indicates a treasure comparison among gods of fortune, a subject often associated in Japanese tradition with the Shichifukujin or Seven Lucky Gods, whose attributes include scrolls, mallets, sacks of rice, and other auspicious objects. Eishi handles the assignment in mitate fashion characteristic of his Edo bijin-ga: rather than depicting the male deities of tradition, he replaces them with contemporary beauties whose accessories allude to the gods being parodied. The figures embody his signature elongated bijin type, sloping shoulders and narrow waist balanced against long, evenly described kimono folds. As a Kano-trained ukiyo-e designer, he gives the auspicious attributes, perhaps a small lucky mallet, a treasure scroll, or a netted bag, the disciplined linear treatment of an academy still life, while the human figures around them read with the measured spacing of his courtly compositions. The palette stays in his characteristic register of muted greys, soft indigos, and pale fleshtones, with the brighter accents reserved for the patterned outer robes that identify each parodic figure. The sheet is recorded on ukiyo-e.org through the Art Institute of Chicago's collection. It exemplifies Eishi's strategy of dignifying Edo bijin-ga by anchoring his contemporary beauties in the iconography of well-known religious and folkloric figures.