What is this painting? Hindu Gods(?) drinking, puking - 1 holds off evil with a Christian cross??

I found this at a local thrift store & was fascinated with it from the moment I saw it! I tried google image search but nothing matched it.

Can someone help me understand this piece? I'm guessing the top figure is a boss or head god(maybe a satan / hell god?) - but what is that in his hand? And the 2 guys on the left are showing gluttony & it's effect?
But the guy on the right holding a makeshift cross against the top figure (as if warding off a vampire!) has me confused!

Are these suppose to be Gods? Or just regular people?

Finally, can anyone make out the name of the artist? (I can see Sun - then Je (Sunje? Or Sunji?)

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated; this is one of the unusual paintings I've found in a while and I am probably going to keep it because I don't think I'll find another like it!

 

Boys' night out in Tokyo?

 

I'm not reading these as god figures - they just look like they're tying one on. The crossed sticks probably don't mean what they'd mean as a Christian symbol; it could be this is just to show impolite behaviour (for example it's a rude use of chopsticks to cross them) though it kind of looks like he's beating time for the dancer. There might be some extra symbolism involved, but I would read this as a general scene of drunken mayhem where they are all acting debauched and insalubrious.

 

Where do you think it's from?

 

Japan would be my guess. Looks like Japanese manual laborers having a liquor-fueled "good time". At least until the hangover sets in.

 

It is a unique painting, that's for sure. The impression I get is more Indonesian than Japanese. Perhaps @Any Jewelry could take a look.

 

Thai for me ...... no morals

 

I don't know about the morals part, but Thai is one I thought of too.

 

There is a Javanese art movement of caricature painting, where the subjects are usually involved in heavy smoking and drinking. The subjects are mostly Punakawan, clownesque characters we know from Wayang theatre, which these are not. But this could still be a Javanese caricature painting.

 

I think that's a good call! There is a definite look of Indian painting in the figures IMO, but also other Asian influences, so Javanese where they have all those influences to draw from makes a lot of sense. (Also, the main dancer is holding a fish with chopsticks, so probably not Thai as they'd use a fork

 

Oops, hadn't seen those were chopsticks, I thought it was a fish rack for a fire.
That certainly rules out Indonesians, they're even further away from 'chopstick territory' than the Thai are. They would use a spoon.

 

LOL I did not know that! I remember eating a lot of food in Bali with chopsticks, (perhaps I was doing it wrong ; ) So - Philippines? Singapore? (et al) Or maybe it is a rack as you say not chopsticks!

 

Maybe you had Chinese food? Traditionally, Indonesians eat with their right hand or with a spoon.

Don't see either in this painting.

That would make determination a lot easier.

 

Those crossed sticks are used to clap together for music and dancing. I have some from my daughter's wedding. Her husband is Indian. They are used in that area of the world.