Entropi Design Metal Bookmark (Great Wave Katsushika Hokusai - Under Great Off Kanagawa) Model Number BKS7345

Country of Manufacture: United States / Material: Brass Product Size: Length approximately 8.9cm x Width approximately 3.2cm / Package Size: Height 19.8cm x Width 6.3cm (set on a paper backing, in a transparent sleeve) This bookmark features designs typical of Japan, including ukiyo-e by Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Utamaro, as well as bijin-ga by Takehisa Yumeji and Nishikigoi. It is highly appreciated as a gift for people overseas. The main body is made of brass, treated with plating to prevent discoloration, and the design is expressed using giclée printing, which is also used for art pieces. It comes with a decorative accent color string, allowing it to function well even when inserted into a book. This item is from David Howell. The universal appeal of Hokusai's works is loved worldwide, transcending Japan, and is often chosen by many at the British Museum shop. Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is a woodblock print created during the late Edo period, around 1829-1833, and is considered one of his most famous works, representing Japanese prints as a whole. It is one of the pieces from the "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" series, depicting Mount Fuji quietly standing against a deep blue horizon. However, compared to the overwhelming power of the gigantic wave threatening to engulf the boat in the foreground, even Mount Fuji appears as a small hill. This bold composition and playful visual style are characteristics commonly seen in Hokusai's works. This series is also known for being the first to use the newly imported chemical pigment "Berlin Blue" in Japanese prints. The vibrant blue added depth to the sky and sea and was known for its resistance to fading. "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" became a huge hit, leading the publisher Nishimuraya Eijudo to produce an additional ten prints based on black rather than blue. The cherry wood blocks used are now considered precious, but at the time, thousands were printed, making it a highly popular work.