100 Aspects of the Moon # 50 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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

Woodblock Prints Title: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon # 50 Flute at the Helm of a Boat

1st Publication: 1887

Size: Oban; 13-1/2" x 9-1/4" (34 x 23.5 cm)

Date of this edition: 1887

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon.

Condition: Colors faded. Some toning, stains, soiling, a thin area in the upper margin, remnants from prior mounting. Fair to poor overall condition.

More about this print: Kiyotsune was the 3rd son of Taira no Shigemori, and a grandson of Taira no Kiyomori who stood at the basis of the feud between the Taira and the Minamoto.

Reportedly he had a tender soul and took all misfortunes close to his heart. In this episode from the Heike monogatari, Kiyotsune has been expelled from the city of Dazaifu on the southern island of Kyushu as he realizes that his case is hopeless. After having attempted to find consolation in playing his flute in the moonlight on the helm deck of his ship, he murmurs the sacred sutra in praise for Buddha, and throws himself into the sea.

The final catastrophe in the war between the Heike (Taira) and the Genji (Minamoto) is the defeat of the Taira fleet in the battle of Dannoura in 1185.

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.