Title : Jurojin - God of Wisdom and Longevity

Artist : Tsuchiya Koitsu

Date : 1910

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Source : Ohmi Gallery
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Description : Extremely rare. This is the first Koitsu scroll that I have seen in "real life". Hand painted on silk. Mounting is 203 x 50cm. The signature reads as "光逸謹寫" (humbly drawn by Koitsu) and the red seal reads "書意 不●形"?. The god of wisdom, Jurojin 寿老人 is a deity from China's Taoist pantheon. Described as a Chinese Taoist sennin 仙人 (immortal), Jurojin is also a personification of the southern polar star. Described in legends as a great lover of wine and fond of female company. Often depicted as an old man with a long white beard carrying a knobbly staff with a scroll tied to it, on which is written the life span of all living things or, in other accounts, a record of all the good and bad deeds committed by all beings, or the book of knowledge. The deer, a symbol of longevity, commonly accompanies him as a messenger, as do other long-lived animals such as the stag, crane, or tortoise. This item is from my personal collection and is not for sale.

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