Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) | Courtesan with her attendant and Hotei viewing the moon | Edo period, 18th century

Theodor Scheiwe (1897-1983)

A courtesan and Hotei smoke from their pipes whilst gazing at the full moon. Sitting out on the verandah (engawa), Hotei casually leans against the wooden post beneath the eave; his loose-fitting robe sliding off his shoulders. Red and white chrysanthemums suggest that it is a balmy autumn evening. Harunobu designed a number of woodblock prints depicting Hotei, the God of Happiness, often somewhat humorously with courtesans or children. 

The print is an egoyomi, or calendar print produced in 1765. The numbers for the long lunar months of the same year are subtly integrated into the wood grain of the smoking utensil tray placed beside Hotei. 

A rare design, only three other examples of this print are thought to be extant.¹ 

1. Andreas Marks, Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1680 - 1938, (Cologne, 2021), pp. 112-13, no. 22.