Original woodcut in two shades of grey and one of pink; J.A. Michener, The Hokusai Sketch-Books. Selections from the Manga, Rutland and Tokyo, 1958, pp. 216–240; Koban format; 180 × 130 mm
A fine print from the Manga collection, a fifteen-volume series published between 1814 and 1878 (the last three volumes posthumously).
The series was conceived by Hokusai to illustrate every aspect of Japan: from folklore to architecture, and from flora to fauna. The sheets in the collection served as a manual for apprentice artists, providing a wide range of ideas for tackling any kind of subject.
This sheet, printed on Japanese paper, comes from Volume IV and depicts six of the twelve animals of the Japanese zodiac known as ‘The Twelve Earthly Branches’. Proceeding from top to bottom and from left to right, one can recognise: the rat, the snake, the goat, the ox, the horse and the hare. A cat has also been added in the top left-hand corner.
In Japan, the list of animals is the same as the Chinese one, with the exception of the boar, which replaces the last sign of the Chinese zodiac, the pig. Furthermore, the main difference concerns the calendar: in China, the lunisolar calendar is used, and the Year of the Animal begins with the Chinese New Year, a movable date that usually falls between 21 January and 20 February. In Japan, however, the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1873, setting the start of the new year as 1 January, the day on which the zodiac sign also changes.
Good, irregular margins all round. In perfect condition.
Ref. 7451
Recommended pendant: 7452