Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave | Recycled Tote Bag

Ride the Wave With a Great Wave Tote Bag

This Great Wave tote bag carries the best-known print by Katsushika Hokusai. Deep blue water curls into claws of white foam above small fishing boats. Snow-capped Mount Fuji sits in the hollow of the wave, under a pale sky.

It works as a Hokusai tote bag for errands. It also serves as a Japanese art tote for museum days and a spare bag for travel.

Product Details

• Material: Recycled GREEN CIRCLE fabric
• Weight: 55 g / 1.98 oz
• Bag Size: 50 x 42 cm (19.7 in x 16.5 in)
• Zippered Storage Pouch: 12 x 12 cm (4.7 in x 4.7 in)
• Handle: 27 cm / 10.6 in
• Capacity: Carries up to 20 kg / 44 lbs
• Part Number: L1004
• Includes: Zippered pouch for storage. Safely slip it into another bag for extra storage.

The Print Behind the Bag

Hokusai designed Under the Wave off Kanagawa around 1830 to 1832. It opens his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. The publisher Eijudo advertised the series just before the New Year of 1831.

The Met notes that woodblock printing was then the most advanced color technology in the world. The Great Wave tote bag brings that craft into daily life.

Why the Blue Matters

Imported Prussian blue was new to Japanese printmakers. Scientists at the Met found that the printers layered it with traditional indigo. They printed the wave's dark hollow twice, which gives the water real depth.

Hokusai also tucked Mount Fuji inside the wave, so Japan's grandest peak looks small. The design is said to have inspired Debussy's La Mer. This recycled foldable tote keeps that drama close.

Care and Storage

This Great Wave tote bag uses recycled GREEN CIRCLE fabric that is water-resistant. Hand washing preserves the coating. Machine washing at 86 degrees F / 30 degrees C is fine in a washing bag.

When you are done, fold the Hokusai tote bag into its zippered pouch. Hang it by the handle or store it flat. Keep the Japanese art tote out of long, direct sun to protect the print. Wipe the recycled foldable tote with a damp cloth between washes.

Display the Great Wave tote bag on a hook when you are home. Gift the Hokusai tote bag to a friend who loves museums. Pick the Japanese art tote for your next gallery visit. The recycled foldable tote also makes a thoughtful present.

Each Great Wave tote bag comes with its own zippered pouch.

About Katsushika Hokusai

Hokusai was born in Edo, now Tokyo, in 1760 and worked for more than seventy years. Estimates suggest he made over 30,000 works in the ukiyo-e tradition. Discover more in our Asian Art Collection.

For More Reading from the Web

• Step inside the Met's lab to see how scientists decoded the print's blues and double printing. The Great Wave: Anatomy of an Icon - The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Study the Met's own impression, with notes on perspective and the print's global fame. Under the Wave off Kanagawa - The Metropolitan Museum of Art