Joan B Mirviss LTD, along with Asia Week New York, will host a Zoom panel discussion on the influence and legacy of Hokusai's most celebrated woodblock print, "The Great Wave." The presentation takes place on Thursday, January 7 at 5:00 pm EST. To register for this free virtual event, please email director@mirviss.com. Space is limited.

The recent record-setting $1.1 million sale of an impression of "Under the Wave off Kanagawa" from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (ca. 1830–32) by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) – more commonly known as "The Great Wave" – has proven once again the enduring impact of one of the world's most recognizable artworks.  The Christie's New York sale in September 2020 has prompted numerous questions from within the art world, from collectors, and the general public. To address those questions and more, an esteemed group of Japanese art experts from different backgrounds will shed light on not only the current market, but also on the relevance of this globally iconic image.

Says Joan Mirviss, who will moderate the panel: “Following a conversation with Gary Levine about the astonishing price paid for the impression sold recently at Christie’s, I was inspired to assemble a dream team of Japanese art experts to focus in on this celebrated image and use it as a launching pad to unravel some of the mysteries and misunderstandings about Japanese art and the world of ukiyo-e.

The expert panelists will delve into the history versus the legend, the myths and misconceptions, and the technical variations present in impressions in prominent collections.  They include:

Michiko Adachi, assistant conservator at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Christine Guth, author of Hokusai's Great Wave and scholar of Japanese art history

Gary Levine, longtime dealer specializing in Japanese woodblock prints

Matthew McKelway, Takeo and Itsuko Atsumi Professor of Japanese Art History, Columbia University

Sarah Thompson, Curator, Japanese art at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

About Joan B. Mirviss

Joan B. Mirviss has been a distinguished expert in Japanese art, specializing in fine art and ceramics for more than forty years. She is the leading Western dealer in the field of modern and contemporary Japanese ceramics, and is a widely published and highly respected specialist in this field. At the New York gallery located on Madison Avenue, JOAN B MIRVISS LTD exclusively represents the top Japanese clay artists. 

About Asia Week New York

The collaboration of top-tier international Asian art galleries, the major auction house-Bonhams, Christie’s, Heritage Auctions, iGavel, and Sotheby’s– and numerous museums and Asian cultural institutions, Asia Week New York is a week-long celebration filled with simultaneous gallery open houses, Asian art auctions as well as numerous museum exhibitions, lectures, and special events. Participants from the United States and countries abroad unveil an extraordinary selection of museum-quality treasures from China, India, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Nepal, Japan, and Korea. For more information, visit www.asiaweekny.com

About Songtsam, Presenting Sponsor

Founded by Baima Duoji, in 2000, the Songtsam Hotels, Resorts, & Tour is the only collection of luxury Tibetan-style retreats found across the Tibetan Plateau that offers guests sophisticated elegance, refined design, modern amenities, and unobtrusive service in places of natural beauty and cultural interest. With his long-standing and strong interest in Chinese, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian art, Mr. Baima started collecting art long before he established his first hotel, Songtsam Lodge Shangri-La, which is located next to the famous Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La. Many of the properties across the Tibetan plateau are decorated with Mr. Baima’s personal collection, with each hotel acting as a private art museum. Songtsam aims to share the beauty of humanity’s imagination and creativity with people from all over the world and has been exploring and preserving the essence of Tibetan culture, all the while maintaining a commitment to supporting economic development, local communities, environmental conservation, and sustainability within Tibet and Yunnan. For more information, visit www.songtsam.com/en