Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
An early chuban/kyoka-sized woodblock print depicting a groom washing a packhorse at Hodogaya station along the Tokaido road. This composition is from Hokusai's rare early 1804 series 'Shunko Gojusan-tsugi' (Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido), created nearly three decades before Hiroshige's famous series.
Story
Published in 1804, decades before Hiroshige made the Tokaido highway famous, Hokusai captured this intimate slice of travel: a groom washing his faithful packhorse by a stream.
Maker / Origin
Katsushika Hokusai was one of the most prolific and visionary artists of Edo Japan, renowned globally for 'The Great Wave' and his dynamic Manga sketchbooks. During the early 1800s, Hokusai worked extensively under various art names, designing surimono and small-format Tokaido sets that revolutionized landscape and genre art.
Condition & Value
Shows age-appropriate toning, light scattered foxing/soiling spots, minor thumb soiling at the bottom left margin, and rounded corners typical of unmounted historic washi prints. Colors remain distinguishable. The condition reduces value moderately compared to pristine museum examples.
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.