The Laughing Demon - Katsushika Hokusai

The artwork

"The Laughing Demon" is ideal for lovers of Japanese art, manga aesthetics and fantasy imagery: a print that instantly becomes a talking point, perfect as a gift for enthusiasts of art, design and Eastern culture. By buying this reproduction on Amalfi paper you invest in a durable piece, designed to stand the test of time and accompany your collection of fine art prints.

The work is a woodblock print inspired by Katsushika Hokusai's famous print "Warai Hannya", part of the unfinished series Hyaku Monogatari, "One Hundred Ghost Stories", made in Japan around 1830–1833. The demonic figure combines two monsters of Japanese folklore, the hannya, a woman turned into a demon by jealousy, and the yamauba, a child-devouring mountain witch, synthesising in a single mask the dark side of human passions. The blue background, rendered with the new pigment Berlin blue (Prussian blue), heightens the nocturnal, supernatural character of the scene, typical of ukiyo-e prints devoted to kaidan, the ghost stories told by candlelight in Edo culture.

Unique quality material

Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges
Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade