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Bon Festival Dance by Katsushika Hokusai — Japanese Color woodblock print; surimono, c. 1804/06

Bon Festival Dance

by Katsushika Hokusai

Date:
c. 1804/06
Medium:
Color woodblock print; surimono
Format:
Oban

Description

Figures move in the circular pattern of the Bon Festival dance (Obon), a summer Buddhist rite performed to welcome and honor the spirits of the deceased. Issued as a surimono around 1804–06, the composition captures the communal festivity of late summer Edo, with costumes and the rhythm of the dancers conveying both the solemnity and joyful pageantry of the occasion.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Bon Festival Dance was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) in c. 1804/06.

Bon Festival Dance depicts music and summer.