Scene in May: The Boys' Festival (Gogatsu no kei)
- Date:
- c. 1800-1810
- Medium:
- Woodblock print (naga surimono); ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 19.4 × 52.5 cm
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.
The Boys' Festival of the fifth lunar month (Tango no Sekku) is celebrated in this naga [surimono](/glossary/surimono) from around 1800–10, with carp streamers (koinobori) and other seasonal decorations marking the holiday dedicated to the health and strength of male children. The festival's imagery — warrior dolls, irises, and the bold koi flags — suffused May with martial and natural symbolism.
1821
Color woodblock print with metallic pigments; surimono shikishiban
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
c. 1832
Color woodblock print; oban
Scene in May: The Boys' Festival (Gogatsu no kei) was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) in c. 1800-1810.
Scene in May: The Boys' Festival (Gogatsu no kei) depicts daily life and summer.
Scene in May: The Boys' Festival (Gogatsu no kei) measures 19.4 × 52.5 cm (Oban format).
