Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
A rare, early horizontal Japanese woodblock print (yoko-e) depicting two elegant women in kimonos walking through a rural landscape, guided by a servant carrying their belongings. The delicate line work, soft color palette, and signature 'Hokusai ga' suggest this is an early work by the legendary master Katsushika Hokusai, created before his famous 'Great Wave'.
Story
Published in Edo-period Japan around 1800, this print captures a fleeting moment of leisure. The signature 'Hokusai ga' reveals it was designed by a young artist who would later change the world of art forever.
Maker / Origin
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) is Japan's most celebrated artist, famous for 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa'. Throughout his long life, he used over 30 different professional names and constantly reinvented his style, transitioning from depicting beautiful women and actors in his youth to his legendary landscape series in his seventies.
Condition & Value
The print shows significant signs of age, including overall toning, horizontal creasing down the center, minor edge wear, and some fading of the original organic pigments.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.