Ebisu and Daikoku counting money

Engraving depicting Ebisu and Daikoku. In the foreground, the gods of prosperity Ebisu, on the right, and Daikoku, on the left, two of the "Seven Lucky Gods" ("shichifukujin"), are shown counting money. Daikoku uses a Japanese abacus, the "soroban," to perform calculations, while Ebisu makes notes in an open account book, the "kaneirecho." In front of them, several gold coins ("koban") are scattered on the floor. The inscriptions at the top of the engraving refer to the money accumulated during an entire month, corresponding to 30 days, money that approximately doubles day by day; the currency used is "mon." Thus, the first day begins with a value of 1 "mon", increasing to 2 "mon" on the second day, 4 "mon" on the third day, and so on, ending the last day with more than 550 million mon. In the background of the composition, the traditional New Year's decoration with the lobster ("ebi") and pine branches at the top, along with the fern leaves at the base, indicate that it is possibly an engraving for the New Year celebration, wishing it to bring wealth and prosperity. The engraving features a double censorship seal of Murata Heiemon (above) and Mera Taichiro (below).