The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 13, 2025
Hotei with Daoist Immortals
late 1600s–early 1700s
(Japanese, 1653–1721)
Overall: 210.2 x 68.6 cm (82 3/4 x 27 in.)
Location: Not on view
Description
Hotei was a Chan (Zen) monk living in China during the 900s who became a legendary figure in Japan in the 1300s. At that time a popular cult praising him sprang up, extending beyond Zen to other religious communities. This rare triptych embraces a central Zen icon with flanking Daoist images, thereby suggesting the compatibility, rather than the exclusivity, of these two creeds. Hotei also enjoys popularity in Japan as a kind of folk figure, which explains his mirthful expression in Japanese paintings. The Daoist figures in contrast appear eccentric and foreign, in keeping with Daoist lore. When these paintings came to the museum their appearance was compromised by poor quality textile mountings, and cracked paper surfaces needing restoration. Following the cleaning of the paper surfaces and the repair of the lifting surface areas, each scroll was completely remounted. No inpainting was done, thereby preserving the original ink values and brushstrokes.- ?–1989(Eastern Fine Arts, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)1989–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- E. H. T. “The Year in Review: Selections 1989.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 77, no. 2 (February 1990): 38–78. Reproduced: p. 55; Mentioned: p. 78, no. 208 www.jstor.org
- The Year in Review for 1989. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 6-April 15, 1990).
- {{cite web|title=Hotei with Daoist Immortals|url=false|author=Kyūseki Tomonobu|year=late 1600s–early 1700s|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1989.8