This picture of a smiling, pot-bellied monk sitting in front of a huge sack was rendered with a few expressive lines. Known as “Hemp Sack” (Jap. Hotei; Chin. Budai), this monk is considered to be a true Buddha in Zen Buddhism. It is said that he was always jolly and contented. He stuffed everything he was given into his huge sack, without judgment or prejudice.
The artist Ike Taiga supposedly painted this picture not with a brush, but with his fingers.