Hotei　布袋
CATEGORY:　art history / iconography
　
Ch: Budai. A semi-legendary, itinerant 10c Buddhist monk who became a popular subject in Chinese and Japanese ink painting. His real name is said to have been Qici 契此 (Jp: Keishi), whose biography is found in the 908 Song Gaosenzhuan 宋高僧伝 (Jp: SOU KOUSOUDEN) or the "Legends of High Priests of the Song Dynasty." He lived on Mt. Siming 四明 in Mingzhou 明州, Fenghua 奉化, where he frequently strolled through a nearby town carrying his large cloth bag (Ch:budai, Jp:hotei 布袋). Thus he earned his affectionate nickname, "Priest Budai." Budai's air of "enlightened innocence" led him, like Hanshan and Shide *Kanzan Jittoku 寒山拾得, to be admired as an exemplar of Zen values. Although originally he was said to have filled his bag with anything he encountered on his wanderings, later Zen interpretations speak of Budai's "empty bag." Ironically, in Japanese popular culture Budai's bulging bag and contented appearance led to his inclusion in the Seven Gods of Good Fortune *shichifukujin 七福神. Budai was also thought to have been an incarnation of Maitreya *Miroku 弥勒.
In painting Budai is shown with sparse hair, a smiling face, a large bare belly, loose garments and carrying a bag and wooden staff. In later paintings he is shown in a variety of poses, usually seated or sleeping on his bag, but also dancing, walking or pointing upwards at the moon. In Edo period painting Budai is frequently pictured together with groups of playing children. Early Chinese examples include paintings by Liang Kai 梁楷 (Jp: Ryoukai, mid-13c, Kousetsu 香雪 Museum, Koube), Muqi 牧谿 (Jp: Mokkei, late 13c), and Yintuoluo 因陀羅 (Jp: Indara, late 14c, Nezu 根津 Museum, Tokyo), while a plethora of Japanese versions range from works by Mokuan 黙庵 (?-1345) to Ogata Kourin 尾形光琳 (1658-1716) to numerous *mitate-e 見立絵 prints in *ukiyo-e 浮世絵.
　

Miroku Bosatsu Zazou 弥勒菩薩坐像： Manpukuji Tenouden 萬福寺天王殿 (Kyoto)
Miroku Bosatsu Zazou 弥勒菩薩坐像：
Manpukuji Tenouden 萬福寺天王殿 (Kyoto)

　

　
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