from the series One Hundred Pictures by Kyôsai (Kyôsai hyakuzu)

Part of the Kyôsai hyakuzu, this woodblock print likely falls within the series' recurrent treatment of Buddhist or Daoist subjects — figures such as Daruma, Hotei, or one of the Sixteen Rakan, each of whom Kyosai depicted in multiple formats across his career. These subjects permitted a blend of formal devotional reference and tonal informality: Daruma rendered in a few decisive strokes, Hotei's distended belly treated with affectionate exaggeration. The brushwork underlying the key block reflects the Zen ink-painting tradition in its economy and directness, while the woodblock medium converts this spontaneity into repeatable printed form. Color in such prints tends toward warm tones — ochre robes, ruddy flesh — against pale or neutral grounds, with minimal use of multiple color blocks. Within the larger arc of the Hyakuzu, Buddhist figure prints serve as tonal counterweights to the more overtly comic or grotesque sheets, establishing the range of registers Kyosai commanded.