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