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Katsushika HokusaiJapanese, 1760–1849Flower Thief
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Flower Thief” now? Collection: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis. Not on view at present. Checked October 12, 2026.
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
The play Flower Thief is about a samurai and his not very capable attendant. During an excursion to enjoy cherry blossoms, the samurai breaks off a small flowering branch to take home. A thief appears and snatches the spray from him. The samurai orders his attendant to retrieve it, but time and again, the thief outsmarts the attendant. The play includes many comical exchanges between the irritated samurai, his dim-witted attendant, and the sly thief. For this print, Hokusai depicted a scene in which the attendant tries to make a rope so that he can tie-up the thief, who is being held down by his master. The facial features of each man convey the comical nature of the play.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Details
- Accession number
- P.78.64.16.7
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — public domain
