風流無くてななくせ|Squeaking a Ground Cherry, from the series Seven Fashionable Useless Habits (Furyu nakute nana kuse)

Art Historical Context

In this delightful woodblock print from around 1798, Katsushika Hokusai captures a whimsical moment titled *Squeaking a Ground Cherry*, part of his series *Seven Fashionable Useless Habits* (*Furyū nakute nana kuse*). The image likely depicts a stylish woman playfully squeezing a ground cherry (hōzuki)—a lantern-like fruit—to produce a squeaky sound, embodying one of seven trendy yet delightfully pointless pastimes popular among Edo-period women. Hokusai, a master of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), here showcases his early flair for satire and everyday elegance during Japan's vibra...

About the Artist

Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...