Hotei with Daoist Immortals: Immortal Riding Carplate 1600s-early 1700s · Study 1989.8.1

Context from the museum

Hotei was a Chan (Japanese: Zen) monk living in China during the 900s who, in the 1300s, became a legendary figure in Japan. 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 genre, or folk figure, which explains his mirthful expression in Japanese paintings. The Daoist figures in contrast appear eccentric and foreign-looking, 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 deserving of restoration. The fact that these scrolls constituted an integral set that properly had to be shown as a unit heightened the need to stabilize their condition and improve their presentation for museum visitors. A complete remounting of each scroll occurred following the cleaning of the paper surfaces and the repair of the lifting surface areas. No inpainting was done, thereby preserving the original ink values and brushstrokes.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Hotei with Daoist Immortals: Immortal Riding Carp is 51 cm wide and 119.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 20.1 × 47.1 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.43:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.61 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 17.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 124.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Hotei with Daoist Immortals: Immortal Riding Carp in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, triptych of hanging scrolls: ink on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 51 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?