Drunken Asaina

Katsushika Hokusai

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hokusai's extraordinary achievement in print art has overshadowed his great talent as a painter. In this painting, Asaina Saburō, the legendary hero of Herculean strength, is enshrined in the small domain of the fan, so that his image takes on a more iconic quality. This fan, which was actually used, might have been a New Year's gift from a sake shop called Tsuruya, the name that appears on the box on which the drunken Asaina reclines. If this is the case, Hokusai created a witty, auspicious image for the shop. On the left is the signature Hokusai, which is accompanied by an unclear seal.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art