Still musing on the TOKYO 2020 intro at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony...
A red disc, a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
A person holding and looking at a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
Super Mario holding and looking at a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
Japanese Prime Minister holding and looking at a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
Japanese Emperor holding and looking at a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
Adult dragon holding and looking at a red or white sphere.
What could be simpler?
"In the figure of Fukurokuju, divine wisdom puts on
a very human face."
- Wisdom : A History by Trevor Curnow
Something that came to mind when we saw the image of Super Mario/Prime Minister Abe holding and looking at a red sphere is the scroll pictured below, by Kano Kyuhaku (1621-1688) from the FIAPCE collection.
We take this aged, lofty-headed figure to be Fukurokuju, one of Seven Gods of Good Fortune in Japanese mythoLOGOS/HA HA. Fukurokuju is usually associated with wealth, longevity, wisdom.
In this image the allegorical objects that would signify these first two fortunate circumstances are not present. We therefore read this as an image of the beholding of wisdom. The symbolic object that the deity holds and regards is a hōju, a flaming pearl of wisdom.
Kano Kyuhaku (1621-1688)
detail A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
LOGOS/HA HA