Below Text Courtesy of JAANUS

A god in the Chinese Taoist pantheon known as the "Demon ueller!" often depi"ted in s"ulpture and painting# A de$oted %ut flawed student! &hongkui failed the national examination and in despair "ommitted sui"ide# 'hen (mperor )uan*ong +Jp, -ens.! /0123/45 heard of this extreme a"t he had the degree and title "Do"tor of &hongnanshan" +Jp, Sh6nan*an2no2Shinshi 5 posthumously %estowed on &hongkui# 7n return! the ghost of &hongkui appeared to )uan*ong in a dream and promised to prote"t the empire from e$il demons# Another $ersion holds that when the (mperor was ill &hongkui appeared in a dream and killed the demons who had plagued the (mperor! and in gratitude )uan*ong awarded &hongkui the title# 8i"tures of &hongkui were hung in homes to prote"t or rid them from demons espe"ially at the Boy9s :esti$al on ;ay 1! and the pra"ti"e of pla"ing a small statuette of &hongkui under the ea$es of a house sur$i$es in Japan# 7n paintings &hongkui is usually shown with large eyes! a %ushy %eard! and wearing %la"k ro%es and an offi"ial9s "ap# <e is often depi"ted drawing a large sword or using it in %attle with demons# =e"ords mention images of &hongkui from the Tang period! %ut a painting attri%uted to the Northern Song artist >i -onglin +Jp, =i ?.rin! @ABCD2@@A/5 seems to %e the earliest extant image# 7n Japan! of the "ountless paintings of &hongkui! those %y Eamada D.an +fl#@/"! (nkakuFi ! ?anagawa 8refe"ture5! ?an. Tan9y6 +@/A423B5! 'atana%e ?a*an +@3CG2@0B@5 and Tanomura Chikuden +@3332@01G5 are well known# Hend JAANUS IuoteJ