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Vintage Japanese Silk Painting, Hand painted, very detailed work

Currency:CAD Category:Antiquities / Chinese Start Price:49.00 CAD Estimated At:650.00 - 850.00 CAD
Vintage Japanese Silk Painting, Hand painted, very detailed work
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Some research and found what does it mean.
比南山福安的菜还
福如东海,寿比南山 literally means good fortune is as boundless as the East China Sea and life is as long as South Mountain (on Hainan island). According to legend, drinking water from the East China Sea brings good fortune, and people living on the South Mountain lived longer and healthier lives. This phrase is often used as a blessing for the elderly, wishing them a long and abundant life.

Fukurokuju, the god of wealth and longevity with deer by his side. Painted on paper with ink. The seal reads Unkoku. It is attributed to Unkoku Togan.
In Japan, Fukurokuju (from Japanese fuku, "happiness"; roku, "wealth"; and ju, "longevity") is one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese mythology. It has been theorized that he is a Japanese assimilation of the Chinese Three Star Gods (Fulushou) embodied in one deity. Most related in appearance to the Chinese star god Shou, he is the God of wisdom and longevity. According to some, before attaining divinity, he was a Chinese hermit of the Song Dynasty and a reincarnation of the Taoist god Xuanwu. It is said that during his human incarnation, he was a sennin; a philosopher who could exist without eating food.

Fukurokuju probably originated from an old Chinese tale about a mythical Chinese Taoist hermit sage renowned for performing miracles in the Northern Song period (960 and 1279). In China, this hermit (also known as Jurōjin) was thought to embody the celestial powers of the south polar star.
Usually portrayed as bald with long whiskers, he is sometimes accompanied by a black deer (ancient legends say a deer turns black if it is over 2000 years old).

Unkoku Togan (1547–1618) was a Japanese painter born into a privileged family in Nagasaki. He was the second son of Hara Naoie, lord of Nokomi Castle in Hizen province. Starting as an artist of the Kanō school, Togan's work soon took its inspiration from the style of Sesshu. He painted realistic landscapes, usually ink on paper. He worked under Lord Mori of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Later, he became a Buddhist priest and abbot of Unkoku-an Temple.

The painting is in reasonable condition with some creases and marks due to age. There are some light marks on the mounting.