Hokusai's Great Wave original and reproductions
The original and common reproductions. All are handmade woodblock prints on handmade Japanese paper. The original was printed from 7 handcarved woodblocks. Reproductions often separate the keyblock into 2 blocks, a line block and indigo colour woodblock, to make printing easier (it's difficult to print fine lines and large areas of colour from a single block). Approximately 200 original impressions exist today out of 8,000 originally printed (a census identified 113 impressions in the year 2022)1.
1 Estimates according to the British Museum and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
2 Early printing from original keyblock, printed with indigo (not Prussian blue). Original colour blocks. Met JP1847
2 Later printing from original keyblock, printed with sumi black. Recut colour blocks. MFA 21.6764
4 Reproductions with finest details use zinc keyblocks.
Hokusai's Red Fuji original and reproductions
1 Early printing from original keyblock, printed with indigo (not Prussian blue).