{"product_id":"hokusai-yuki-zu-hokusai-s-ghost-circa-1830-1860-an-extremely-rare-and-vividly-produced-silk-painting-of-a-grimacing-yokai-being-a-yurei-zu-painting","title":"Hokusai Yūki-Zu (Hokusai’s Ghost), Circa 1830-1860. An Extremely Rare and Vividly Produced Silk Painting of a Grimacing Yokai, being a Yurei-zu Painting","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #5f6368; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eHokusai Yūki-Zu (Hokusai’s Ghost), Circa 1830-1860. An Extremely Rare and Vividly Produced Silk Painting of a Grimacing Yokai, being a Yurei-zu Painting\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: In the Style of Katsushika Hokusai; Possibly a Follower of Hokusai\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Very Good\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAn extremely rare Late Edo Period, mid 19th century silk painting crudely entitled Hokusai Yūki-Zu, or Hokusai’s Ghost. As the title bluntly entails, the painting is that of a ghostly, grimacing yokai, with warped flesh and a face that is almost reminiscent of a plucked chicken. Its robes billow in the wind and have been detailed with some excellent shading techniques, adding an ominous shadow effect, and the grimacing appearance of the yokai has certainly been produced by an experienced artist.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eYūrei-zu are a genre of Japanese art consisting of painted or woodblock print images of ghosts, demons and other supernatural beings. Paintings such as these reached their peak popularity by the mid to late 19th century. However, paintings of yokai and demons in particular are significantly rarer than those depictions of yurei and the like, this being the only example I have ever come across in recent years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe painting has a stated attribution to \u003cb\u003eKatsushika Hokusai\u003c\/b\u003e, with a fair impression of his artist seal, and signed \u003ci\u003eZen Hokusai Iitsu hitsu\u003c\/i\u003e. However, while the painting itself is of high quality and exudes some of Hokusai’s style, the seal does not match exactly to original examples, and the three-dimensional expression of the Yokai suggests it was more likely produced after Hokusai’s passing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThere is also an inscription to the wooden box itself (dated 1980), stating the attribution has been confirmed by Director Iinuma of the Hokusai Museum in Obuse, which boasts a tremendous collection of original works and woodblock prints by Hokusai and other associated artists. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eHaving spoken to the Museum on January 7th, 2026, they have stated that while Iinuma was serving as museum director in 1980, “research into Hokusai's original paintings was still in its infancy, and his judgment of the work was limited, so Iinuma himself may have considered it to be an authentic work.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eRegarding the inscription as well, “Iinuma did not appraise or inscribe works as he did in this case. Based on the wording of the inscription, it is likely that the owner of the work, or someone who accompanied Iinuma to view the work, wrote down what they heard.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eStill, on its own the painting is a beautifully produced example, and an extremely rare yokai subject, very much in the Hokusai Style, and still quite possibly produced by a dedicated follower of his work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe painting has been neatly mounted onto a plain covered \u003ci\u003ekakejiku\u003c\/i\u003e (hanging scroll), with \u003ci\u003ejikusaki\u003c\/i\u003e (knobs) made of wood. There is a wooden box to accompany it, preserving the scroll, also enclosed in a slipcase.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eOne silk painting mounted on a \u003ci\u003ekakejiku\u003c\/i\u003e (hanging scroll), 120 x 73.8 cm full size, 34.5 x 62 cm main painting\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThis painting is in very good shape, with minimal rubbing or wear to the a few creases and to the outer covers. There are a few creases to the painting and a single silk split, and some old spotted stains to the lower section of the painting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"That Guy With The Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51634117771575,"sku":null,"price":65000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0281\/1589\/4371\/files\/20251218_154219.jpg?v=1769894773","url":"https:\/\/thatguywiththebooks.com\/products\/hokusai-yuki-zu-hokusai-s-ghost-circa-1830-1860-an-extremely-rare-and-vividly-produced-silk-painting-of-a-grimacing-yokai-being-a-yurei-zu-painting","provider":"That Guy With The Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}