In 1839, as Katsushika Hokusai entered his final decade, he created Five Treasure Balls (hoju) and Five “Longevity” Character—a work that stands out for its direct invocation of auspicious symbols, crafted during a period when the artist was obsessed with longevity and spiritual power. Hokusai, already famed for his landscapes and prints, was by then in his late seventies, signing works as “Gakyō Rōjin” (The Old Man Mad About Painting). The motif of the treasure ball, or hoju, was not new in Japanese art, but Hokusai’s arrangement of five, paired with five calligraphic characters for “longevity,” suggests a personal meditation on fate and fortune at the twilight of his life. The composition presents five luminous, orb-like hoju—Buddhist symbols of wish-fulfillment and spiritual wealth—set in deliberate harmony with five bold kanji for “longevity.” Each ball is rendered with a sense of weight and radiance, echoing the belief that these jewels can grant health, wisdom, and protection.

The repetition of the character for “longevity” intensifies the message, transforming the image into a visual prayer. Unlike the crowded, narrative-rich scenes of Hokusai’s earlier prints, this work is spare and contemplative, inviting the viewer to meditate on the passage of time. In contrast to the more playful treatment of auspicious motifs by contemporaries like Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hokusai’s approach here is solemn, almost ritualistic. The exact medium of this work is not clearly documented, but it likely belongs to the genre of surimono—privately commissioned prints that allowed artists creative freedom outside the constraints of commercial publishing.

While there is little record of its early ownership or exhibition, the piece is representative of Hokusai’s late period, when he increasingly turned to themes of immortality and spiritual endurance. Today, Five Treasure Balls (hoju) and Five “Longevity” Character is recognized as a rare glimpse into the artist’s personal hopes and beliefs near the end of his prolific life, bridging the worlds of visual art and calligraphy in a single, resonant image.