A
rare bamboo okimono, carved from a dense stalk of the mature
plant, a close-grained and durable material with a mellow
red-gold coloration on the surface, polished by handling over
time. Carved with assurance and warmth, depicting the figure
of Fukurokuju, one of the seven gods of good fortune, whose
name means wisdom, luck and longevity.
He is three gods rolled into one: Happiness (Fuku), Wealth
(Roku), and Longevity (Ju). He was a Chinese hermit of the
Sung Dynasty who was a reincarnation of the Taoist god Hsuan-Wu,
a crown prince who, like Buddha, refused to be made a king
and left worldly life to study religion, devoting his life
to the study of Taoism and eventually becoming an Immortal.
Fukurokuju is a Sennin -- a rustic philosopher who can exist
without eating any food. He is a small elderly man with an
elongated forehead (seat of the third eye and the source of
his mystic wisdom). He is the only god among the Seven Gods
of Good Fortune who is credited with being able to revive
the dead. He carries a scroll of sacred teachings tied to
his staff upon which is written all the knowledge and wisdom
of the world. --RW
