Re-editioned colour woodblock print, c1965, after Hokusai’s “The Great Wave”, c1831

(Designed by) Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎)(1760–1849)

“The Great Wave” (aka “Under the Wave off Kanagawa”; “Kanagawa-oki nami-ura”; “神奈川沖浪裏”), printed from recut blocks reduced in size, c1965 (Showa period), originally cut and printed in 1831, from the series, “Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji” (aka “Fugaku sanjurokkei”; “冨嶽三十六景”).

For comparison, see similar recut later versions of Hokusai’s “The Great Wave”, that are in the collection of the British Museum and printed in 2008 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_2009-3003-1 & https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_2009-3003-2) with an impression from the original plates printed in 1831 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1906-1220-0-533). 

Colour woodblock print in 8 colours (with bohashi gradations) on fine fibrous washi paper with margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 22.5 x 32.5 cm; (image borderline) 19.6 x 29.1 cm.

Inscribed in the block at upper left (in transliteration): “Kanagawa-oki nami ura” (the title); “Fugaku Sanju Rokkei” (series title); “Hokusai aratame Iitsu hitsu” (北斎改一為筆 [From the brush of Hokusai changing to Iitsu—a change in one’s life occurring at the age of 60 when life begins again in its 60-year cycle) (see BM inv. no. 1906,1220,0.533).

The British Museum offers the following description of Hokusai’s design:

“… fishermen cowering in three skiffs, the wave about to crash down on them, Mt Fuji seen low in the hollow of wave” (BM inv. 1906,1220,0.533).

Condition: an unfaded and well-printed strong impression from recut plates with full margins as published and (surprisingly) in pristine condition despite being in storage for more than 50 years.

I am selling this colour woodblock print from c1965 using recut blocks and traditional hand-printing techniques to re-edition Hokusai’s most famous woodblock showing Mt Fuji in the distance with stoic oarsmen in narrow skiffs (oshiokuri) battling perilous seas and a gigantic wave towering over them, for AU$592 (currently US$434.43/EUR382.26/GBP323.08 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries.

If you are interested in purchasing this reduced sized woodblock print created more than a century after Hokusai’s original print was executed, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold