National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

Occupying the lower half of the canvas is Budai, a tenth-century Chinese monk who is identified and worshipped as an incarnation of Maitreya, the buddha of the future. He is depicted here with a big-bellied, round-faced form and a pig-like nose, laughing heartily. The most notable feature of this work is its brushwork: the artist used relatively dry ink to render Budai’s hair and beard lightly, while using darker, watery ink that seeps and spreads out on the paper for the outlines of his clothes. The artist has chosen to finish Budai’s facial expression with two small dots in dark ink for his eyes, which stand out in stark comparison to the rest of the painting. This demonstrates his understanding of and proficiency in commanding inks of different shades and textures.

Creatorship of this work has historically been attributed to Muqi (alternatively, Muxi) a Chinese monk and painter active in the thirteenth century, from the late Southern Song to the early Yuan dynasty. In Japan, Muqi was referred to as an oshō, an honorific title reserved for highly revered Buddhist priests. Multiple historical documents, including the Catalog of the Shogunal Family’s Treasured Paintings (Gomotsu on’e mokuroku) and the Decorations as Seen on a Visit to the Muromachi Residence (Muromachi-dono gyokō okazari-ki), mention how the Ashikaga shogunal family, who commanded Japan during the Muromachi period (14th–16th century), had cited this work as one of Muqi’s while it was in their ownership. Subsequently, the painting passed through the hands of various powerful parties in Japan, including the Tokugawa shogunal family, becoming known for its prestigious provenance over five centuries. It has also famously decorated tea ceremony venues, earning the nickname, Belly-Rubbing Budai, in the process.

The top portion of the painting bears an inscription by Chinese monk, Jianweng Jujing (active in the 13th century), containing an anecdote about Budai.