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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

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Yahagi Bridge at Okazaki on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Okazaki Yahagi no hashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran), Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan
Yahagi Bridge at Okazaki on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Okazaki Yahagi no hashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1834
The Suspension Bridge on the Border of Hida and Etchū Provinces (Hietsu no sakai tsuribashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran), Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan
The Suspension Bridge on the Border of Hida and Etchū Provinces (Hietsu no sakai tsuribashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1830
Cherry Blossoms at Yoshino (Yoshino), from the series Snow, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka), Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan
Cherry Blossoms at Yoshino (Yoshino), from the series Snow, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka)
Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1833
Nakahara in Sagami Province (Sōshū Nakahara), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan
Nakahara in Sagami Province (Sōshū Nakahara), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1830–32
The Hanging-cloud Bridge at Mount Gyōdō near Ashikaga (Ashikaga Gyōdōzan kumo no kakehashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran), Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan
The Hanging-cloud Bridge at Mount Gyōdō near Ashikaga (Ashikaga Gyōdōzan kumo no kakehashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1830

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