Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
An authentic chuban-sized Japanese woodblock print from Katsushika Hokusai's early Tokaido series 'Shunkyō Gojūsan-tsugi' (Spring Pleasures of the 53 Stations). The scene depicts station 24, Kanaya, capturing an intimate, humorous genre view of travelers or inn staff washing up alongside a feeding packhorse.
Story
Published around 1804, this print captures Katsushika Hokusai three decades before his famous Great Wave. Here, he turns the epic Tokaido highway into an intimate, humorous slice of daily life alongside a feeding horse.
Maker / Origin
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) is arguably Japan's most celebrated artist, whose dynamic compositions transformed Japanese printmaking and profoundly inspired European Impressionism. Around 1804, using the alias 'Gakyōjin Hokusai' ('The Person Crazy About Drawing'), he experimented heavily with everyday genre realism and perspective.
Condition & Value
Fair to good antique condition. Features prominent water tidelines and minor foxing across the upper margin, general paper toning, and mild edge wear, though the central figures and pigment remain legible and charming. Condition reduces retail value by roughly 30–40%.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
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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.