Almost square fukusa, or gift covering cloth, worked in multicoloured embroidery on a blue-black silk ground. The picture shows The Seven Gods of Happiness, Shichifukujin. They are seated underneath pine branches which symbolise longevity, friendship and constancy. There are stylised cloud patterns at the top. The embroidery is worked in couched multicoloured silk and gold- and silver-coloured metal-wrapped thread. The cloth is behind glass in a black wooden frame, glazed with UV-filter glass. On the right carrying a sea bream is Ebisu, then clockwise are Daikokuten, Fukurokuju, Hotei, Benzaiten, Jurojin and Bishamonten.
The seven gods depicted in this picture are: 1. Hotei, the god of abundance and good health 2.Jur�jin, god of longevity 3.Fukurokuju, god of happiness, wealth and longevity 4.Bishamonten, god of warriors 5.Benzaiten (Benten-sama), goddess of knowledge, art and beauty, especially music 6.Daikokuten (Daikoku), god of wealth, commerce and trade. Ebisu and Daikoku are often paired and represented as carvings or masks on the walls of small retail shops 7.Ebisu, god of fishers or merchants, often depicted carrying a sea bream.
