100 Aspects of the Moon # 44 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Taiso) (1839-1892)

Woodblock Prints Title: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon # 44 Akazome Emon viewing the moon

1st Publication: 1887

Size: 13-1/2" x 9" + Margins as shown

Date of this edition: 1887

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon

Condition: Backed on an acid free album page. Left margin trimmed, affecting the seals. Excellent colors and impression, good overall condition

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.