Parody of Ariwara no Narihira's eastern journey
- Date:
- c. 1803
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print; oban, surimono
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Hokusai's genre scenes, bijin-ga (beautiful women), and miscellaneous subjects represent the breadth of his career across more than seven decades. The market for non-landscape Hokusai prints has strengthened as collectors seek beyond the most famous designs.
A [surimono](/glossary/surimono) [oban](/glossary/oban) from around 1803 reimagines the famous episode from the Tales of Ise in which the Heian courtier Ariwara no Narihira journeys eastward — his travels having the structure of both exile and romantic quest. Hokusai's parody likely transposes the episode's figures and emotions into a contemporary Edo register, substituting familiar townspeople for the elegant Heian aristocrats of the original.
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Parody of Ariwara no Narihira's eastern journey was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) in c. 1803.
Parody of Ariwara no Narihira's eastern journey depicts travel scenes.