Hotei Admiring the Moon probably 19th century Formerly attributed to Ikei Shtoku Japanese This painting depicts Budai, a beloved, semi-historical Buddhist figure known as Hotei in Japan. Although the work was traditionally associated with an artist known as Ikei Shtoku, purportedly a follower of the celebrated medieval ink painter Sessh Ty, it is believed to have been made in the nineteenth century. This late work entered The Met's collection in 1914 along with nearly two hundred other Japanese and Chinese artworks from the collection of Charles Stewart Smith (1832-1909), a Trustee of the Museum. Smith was primarily a collector of European paintings but also acquired many Japanese and Chinese works of art during the last two decades of his life, after he and his third wife honeymooned in Japan in 1892.. Hotei Admiring the Moon. Formerly attributed to Ikei Shtoku (Japanese, active first half of the 16th century). Japan. probably 19th century. Hanging scroll; ink on paper