Edo Period Woodblock Print

Edo Period Woodblock Print: Bird and Wolf

This is a work by Katsushika Hokusai, belonging to the late Edo period. It was previously mounted by my grandfather as a page from a painting manual. This work is also held in collections such as the Sumida Hokusai Museum. The first edition was part of the Peter Morse collection and is registered as a tangible cultural property (painting) of Sumida Ward. The work is mounted in a simple wooden frame with an acrylic panel, slightly larger than a postcard. It is a single-stroke painting by the Nagoya literati painter Fukuzensai, which Hokusai saw during his visit to Nagoya and believed should not be forgotten, thus publishing it. Like the Hokusai Manga, it was published by Eirakuya Toshiro of Nagoya. Katsushika Hokusai was a ukiyo-e artist of the late Edo period. At the age of 19, he became a disciple of Katsukawa Shunsho, the head of the Katsukawa school, and began his career as a painter. From An'ei 8 to Kaei 2, he depicted various human postures, including historical figures such as courtesans, sumo wrestlers, and actors, as well as landscapes like Mount Fuji, waterfalls, and bridges, insects, birds, flowers, plants, architecture, Buddhist implements, mythical creatures such as monsters, elephants, tigers, and dragons, and natural phenomena like waves, wind, and rain, producing over 34,000 works. His artistic endeavors were extensive, covering not only prints but also hand-painted ukiyo-e, yellow-covered books, yomihon, kyoka books, painting manuals, and shunga.