> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/hokusai-3 · updated 2026-11-02

# Hokusai (1760–1849)

## What is Hokusai’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 171 auction results for Hokusai at 30 houses since 2001. Over the last 24 months the median price was $347 including buyer’s premium (middle half $272–$405, n=13). The auction record is $8,286 for PETIT ALBUM DE HUIT SURIMONO appartenant à la série Toba-e (2016, Tajan). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

**Top auction records: paintings, drawings & sculpture**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PETIT ALBUM DE HUIT SURIMONO appartenant à la série Toba-e, 1804-1806 | Surimono woodblock album | $8,286 | Tajan | Jun 2016 |
| 2 | Five prints from the Tokaido series | Prints | $1,293 | Sworders | Nov 2007 |
| 3 | HOKUSAÏ (1760-1849) | Books with light color highlights | $1,257 | Tajan | Oct 2025 |
| 4 | The Great Wave off Kanagawa – 神奈川沖浪裏 (Kanagawa-oki nami-ura), from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji – 富嶽三十六景 (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), 1830–1831 | Woodblock print | $1,158 | James Adam Salesrooms | Nov 2025 |
| 5 | 100 vues du mont Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) | Encre et pigments sur soie | $830 | Cornette de Saint Cyr (Bonhams) | Apr 2019 |
| 6 | The Great Wave | Print | $629 | Shapiro Auctioneers | Feb 2016 |
| 7 | Two samurai with their katana, 1830 | Aizuri-e / Prussian blue oban tata-e woodblock print | $552 | James Adam Salesrooms | Jun 2022 |
| 8 | The Great Wave of Kanagawa, 1830-1831 | Woodblock print | $528 | James Adam Salesrooms | Nov 2024 |
| 9 | Reflection in Lake Misaka, Kai Province – 甲州三坂水面 (Kōshū Misaka suimen), from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji – 富嶽三十六景 (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), 1830–1831 | Woodblock print | $405 | James Adam Salesrooms | Nov 2025 |

**Top auction records: prints & editions**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inume Pass in the Kai Province, from the Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji | Woodcut | $950 | Grogan & Company | Feb 2014 |

**Median price by medium (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 20 | $385 |

**Median price by size (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 50 cm) | 22 | $385 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 171 results from 30 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Hokusai is a Japanese artist with 239 auction lots recorded since 2001, median price $950. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page.

A work by Hokusai sold in 2026 for a hammer price of $14,434 (buyer's premium not included), according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Hokusai work worth?

Across 167 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Hokusai work is $950.

The median Hokusai print sells for $964 across 127 lots.

The median Hokusai work on paper sells for $5,120 across 6 lots.

The median Hokusai painting sells for $2,513 across 4 lots.

Small (under 50 cm) Hokusai prints typically sell for $244–$1,192 (the middle half of 64 sold lots).

Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

## Price breakdown by category

| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 179 | $964†‡ | $397,017‡ | 70.9% | 2026-08-12 |
| Paintings | 5 | $2,513‡ | $163,904‡ | 80% | 2014-12-04 |
| Works on Paper | 8 | $5,120‡ | $85,225‡ | 75% | 2026-03-27 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 9 | $18,762†‡ | $397,017‡ | — | 2026-10-22 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Hokusai's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (179 lots) median $964 with 70.9% sell-through. Paintings (5 lots) median $2,513, record $163,904. Whether that record price includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified. A typical Hokusai painting sells for around 2.6× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 9 lots) the median is $18,762.

## Price by size

### Prints & Editions

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 64 | $244–$1,192†‡ | $400†‡ | $397,017‡ |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

### Works on Paper

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 6 | $943–$8,225‡ | $5,120‡ | $85,225‡ |

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 2025 | $397,017‡ |
| Paintings | 2014 | $163,904‡ |
| Works on Paper | 2017 | $85,225‡ |
| Prints & Editions | 2025 | $38,194‡ |
| Works on Paper | 2025 | $8,225‡ |
| Paintings | 2008 | $2,545‡ |

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

The highest recorded result in each medium. The full sale history is in the OpeningBid app (free sign-up).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a Hokusai worth?

Across 167 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Hokusai work is $950. The median Hokusai print sells for $964 across 127 lots. The median Hokusai work on paper sells for $5,120 across 6 lots. The median Hokusai painting sells for $2,513 across 4 lots. Small (under 50 cm) Hokusai prints typically sell for $244–$1,192 (the middle half of 64 sold lots). Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

### What is the average price of a Hokusai print?

Based on 127 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Hokusai print is $964. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

### What is Hokusai's most expensive print?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Hokusai print is $397,017. Whether that record price includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

### What is the average price of a small Hokusai print?

Based on 64 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Hokusai print (small (under 50 cm)) is $400, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

### What is Hokusai's auction record?

Hokusai's auction record is $397,017, set in 2025. Whether that record price includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

---

Data last updated 2026-11-02. OpeningBid tracks 15,390,829 auction lots from 577 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Hokusai auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/hokusai-3 (updated 2026-11-02).

Historical auction data, not investment advice. Prices are premium-inclusive USD where the buyer's premium is recorded. Figures marked † are hammer prices (buyer's premium not included); ‡ marks a price whose basis is not yet verified. Non-USD results are converted at the sale month's rate.