It’s a moulded porcelain statue with underglaze blue decoration, depicting the ancient Chinese mythical figure of Shide ( Jittoku in Japanese) holding a broom. Jittoku’s name literally means “the Foundling”. Jittoku was a foster child in the care of a nearby Buddhist monastery, where he swept the kitchen floors as did other odd jobs. Normally Jittokuy paires with Kanzan. They wear simple, rough clothing, and are often depicted with odd facial features. As time passed, Kanzan (Hanshan) and Jittoku (Shide) gradually became associated with the Wagô (He-he) Twins in the minds of many Chinese. In Japan, Kanzan came to be regarded as a local manifestation of theBodhisattva Monju, distinguished by his superior intellect and wisdom. That Kanzan was typically depicted reading or carrying scrolls of Buddhist sutras reinforced the impression of him as unusually wise. Likewise, Jittoku came to be regarded as a local manifestation of the Bodhisattva Fugen. Fugen is a Boddhisattva of compassionate wisdom. Jittoku would often bring left over food from the monastery kitchen to Kanzan, which may be one reason for the link with Fugen.

Six character mark to the reverse reading “Kachutei Dohachi Zo”.