The auction is scheduled for November 22, and the artwork is estimated to be worth between £250,000 and £300,000. Information about the sale is posted on Sotheby’s website.
Photo Sotheby's. The print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Katsushika Hokusai will be auctioned
The reason for the sale of the print and other artworks is the financial pressure on Kazuo Okada, a billionaire and founder of the Okada Museum. He faced a debt of $50 million resulting from legal disputes with casino mogul Steve Wynn, during which both parties accused each other of corruption.
The legal proceedings concluded in 2018; however, Okada was unable to settle his debt with his law firm Bartlit Beck. As a result, the courts ordered the sale of museum assets. The auction will feature 125 lots, including artifacts from the Shang dynasty, royal porcelain from the Qing dynasty, and ancient Korean pottery.
The print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," depicting Mount Fuji rising above a massive wave, is one of Hokusai's most famous works and is part of his renowned series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji." Beginning work on the series in 1830 at the age of 70, the artist created several variations of it.
This artwork has become a symbol of Japanese aesthetics in the West, with its images found on a wide variety of items—from mugs to posters—as well as in emoji form.
