An image of a Hakutaku by 418th head priest of Daitokuji Temple Chuho Sou. Ink and light color on paper remounted in blue cloth extended with beige terminating in black lacquered wooden rollers. Judging by the calligraphy to the left the image was painted as a charm to ward off evil. The scroll is 51 x 130 cm (20 x 51 inches) and is in fine condition. It comes enclosed in an annotated wooden box. A Hakutaku (白沢) is a mythological creature from Chinese and Japanese folklore, known as a wise, benevolent beast with deep connections to the spirit world and esoteric knowledge. Said to appear only to virtuous rulers, this auspicious creature is most commonly depicted as a leonine or bovine figure with multiple eyes—often nine in total—believed to grant it the ability to perceive all things, including the presence of disease and malevolent spirits. According to legend, the Yellow Emperor of China encountered the Hakutaku, who imparted to him detailed knowledge of the world’s myriad supernatural beings and how to guard against them. In Japan, the Hakutaku became especially prominent as a talismanic figure during times of epidemic, its image reproduced in woodblock prints and hung in homes as a ward against illness. Merging esoteric knowledge with benevolence, the Hakutaku endures as a guardian of both body and spirit.
Chuho Sou (1760-1838) Soū was a member of the Rinzai sect at Nanzenji temple. He was born in Kyoto, and studied Zen under the 416th Daitokuji master Sokan. His Buddhist name is Sou, and other names used by him are Chuho, Shogetsu, and Rakuyojin. He succeeded Daitokuji temple in 1807 becoming the 418th head of the temple complex, while serving as the 13th head of Hoshunin Temple. He later built the Tea House Shogetsuan in Hushunin. In 1836 he received the name Daikoshinsho Zen Shi from the Emperor Ninko.
