Akazome Emon Looking at the Moon by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Additional Pictures: Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)

Woodblock Print Title: Akazome Emon Looking at the Moon

1st Publication: 1887

Size: Oban; 9 1/2" x 14" (24.2 x 35.5 cm)

Date of this edition: 1887

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon

Condition: Mild toning, remnants from prior mounting (Glue from tape)

More about this print: Akazome Emon (956-­1041 AD) was a celebrated woman poet at the Heian court. She served in the household of Fujiwara no Michinaga, the prime minister of the day, and father-in-law of several emperors, and she is considered to have been the main author of the Eiga Monogatari, the Fujiwara family history.

Here she is portrayed at her doorstep, after a long, sleepless night, awaiting her lover who has failed to show up. Her poem reads: “I wish I had gone to bed immediately - but now the night has passed and I watch the moon descend.”

Pictures: Pictures are taken outdoor, in the shade, to reflect true colors, without any enhancements of any kind. The last picture is taken indoor, with a light behind the print, to reveal the exact paper grain, holes if any, or other possible flaws.