Kralen van kwarts met een tasje van brokaat c. 1890 - 1900

Katsushika Hokusai created this print, “Kralen van kwarts met een tasje van brokaat,” with woodblock printing, though we don’t know exactly when. Hokusai lived through the Edo period, a time marked by economic growth, strict social order, and isolationist policies. Looking at this image, a bag spills forth quartz beads onto the page, there is a sense of a contained and abundant world. The beads could represent wealth, but also allude to spiritual ideas about purity and enlightenment. The image might also be a comment on gender. Bags like the one depicted were often associated with women. Hokusai was known for his versatility, and the image destabilizes any reading of traditional representation by playfully depicting the bag. It’s as if the artist invites us to consider how cultural values and personal expression intertwine. Ultimately, this print invites us to contemplate the intersection of material culture, personal identity, and societal norms in 19th-century Japan, reflected through Hokusai’s unique perspective.