Antique Japanese Kakejiku Hanging Scroll Daikokuten Lucky God Meiji Edo Signed 75”L

Japanese kakejiku hanging scroll, ink and mineral color on silk, Daikokuten standing on rice bales with mallet and halo — 大黒天像 (Daikokuten-zō), signed and sealed, with original storage box, late Edo to Meiji period

Japan; late Edo to Meiji period, c. 1850s–1890s; signed with red seal; original wooden storage box inscribed 大黒天像

A commanding and well-executed kakejiku (掛軸) depicting Daikokuten (大黒天) — the god of wealth, commerce, and agricultural abundance — in his classic standing pose. The figure is rendered with confident fluency in ink and mineral pigment on silk: broad, jovial face wearing its characteristic wide grin and black cap (大黒頭巾), the body in dark layered robes with white under-garments, a bead necklace with pendant ornament at the chest. He raises a small kotsuzuchi (打ち出の小槌, magic mallet) in his right hand and holds a white cloth in his left. A large luminous halo or moon disc frames him from behind. He stands atop two large tawara (俵) — bales of rice, the quintessential symbol of agricultural bounty — rendered with careful attention to their woven straw texture and characteristic shape. The face is painted with particular warmth and humor, the eyes crinkled with delight, the expression one of beneficent good cheer rather than formal divinity. Signed in the lower left with an artist name and red seal. The mounting is a silver-white brocade silk with botanical pattern, with a darker wave-pattern scroll band at the bottom — a quality formal mounting. Comes with its original wooden storage box, the lid inscribed with the artist name and seal, the side inscribed 大黒天像 (Daikokuten-zō — Image of Daikokuten).

Daikokuten (大黒天) is one of the Shichifukujin (七福神, Seven Lucky Gods), originating as the Hindu deity Mahakala before being absorbed into Japanese Buddhist and Shinto syncretic tradition. In Japan he became associated specifically with the kitchen, agriculture, and worldly prosperity — his rice bales representing the fullness of the harvest, his magic mallet the power to strike out one's wishes. Daikoku paintings were among the most widely produced lucky images for household and commercial display, particularly around the New Year, and the finest examples demonstrate real painterly ambition within a popular devotional format. This scroll, with its original tomobako storage box and quality silk mounting, represents the upper tier of this tradition.

The water staining and wear to the lower portion of the scroll are the honest marks of a long and well-traveled life — the wabi-sabi patina that accumulates over a century or more of existence and that no new work can replicate. The painting field itself is well-preserved. Please see photos for full condition details.

• Format: Kakejiku (掛軸) hanging scroll with original wooden storage box (tomobako)
• Subject: 大黒天像 (Daikokuten-zō — Image of Daikokuten, God of Wealth)
• Medium: Ink and mineral color on silk; silver-white brocade mounting
• Artist: Signed with red seal; artist name on box partially legible — identity unconfirmed
• Box inscription: 大黒天像 on side; artist name and seal on lid
• Period: Late Edo to Meiji, c. 1850s–1890s
• Dimensions: overall 75" H × 18.5" W (190 × 47 cm); art 42.5" H × 13.5" W (108 × 34 cm)
• Condition: Water staining and damage to lower scroll portion. Painting field well-preserved. Please see photos for details.