Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock, “Full Moon”, (publ.) 1820/49

Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎) (1760–1849)

“Full Moon” (descriptive title only), c1840, woodcut first published in monochrome in 1820 in Nagoya by Eirakuya Tōshirō 永楽屋東四郎 (fl.1813–1842) in the single volume of Hokusai soga 北斎麁画 as illustration to page 59 (see https://pulverer.si.edu/node/302/title/1/30). The woodcut was later published in 1849 in colour (as seen in this impression) in Nagoya by Eirakuya Tōshirō and Izumiya Ichibei 和泉屋市兵衛 (Kanseidō) in volume 1 (of 3) in Hokusai gafu 北斎画譜 as illustration to page 42 (see https://pulverer.si.edu/node/310/title/1/22).

Pulverer offers an online view of this print in its two published contexts with description and commentary: https://pulverer.si.edu/node/302/title/1 & https://pulverer.si.edu/node/310/title/1.

Colour woodblock printed in black, blue (and a pale orange-pink?) ink on fine washi paper laid upon a support sheet.

Size: (support sheet) 33 x 23.8 cm; (sheet) 22.6 x 14.7 cm; (image borderline) 19 x 13 cm.

Condition: an impression from slightly worn plates with pale stains in the lower right margin, flattened printer’s creases at upper left and surface handling marks. The sheet has been laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this very poetic original colour woodblock by Hokusai showing what I assume may be a plum tree—note that under magnification there seems to be pale pink growth (buds and flowers?) at the ends of some of the gnarly twigs—silhouetted against a full moon, for the total cost of AU$237 (currently US$175.15/EUR158.75/GBP133.27 at the time of 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 quietly beautiful woodblock print by the almost legendary Hokusai, 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