Drunken Asaina

ca. 1810
Not on view
Hokusai's extraordinary achievement in print art has overshadowed his great talent as a painter. In this painting, Asaina Saburō, the legendary hero of Herculean strength, is enshrined in the small domain of the fan, so that his image takes on a more iconic quality. This fan, which was actually used, might have been a New Year's gift from a sake shop called Tsuruya, the name that appears on the box on which the drunken Asaina reclines. If this is the case, Hokusai created a witty, auspicious image for the shop. On the left is the signature Hokusai, which is accompanied by an unclear seal.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Drunken Asaina
  • Artist: Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760–1849 Tokyo (Edo))
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: ca. 1810
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Fan mounted as hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 9 7/16 × 20 3/16 in. (24 × 51.3 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 54 3/4 × 28 3/4 in. (139 × 73 cm)
    Overall with knobs: 54 3/4 × 31 in. (139 × 78.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1991
  • Object Number: 1991.151
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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