100 Aspects of the Moon # 55 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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

Woodblock Prints Title: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon # 55 Fukami Jikyu challenges the moon

1st Publication: June 1887

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

Date of this edition: June 1887

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon.

Condition: Remnants from prior mounting (Glue from tape), tiny loss in the lower left corner, left margin partially trimmed affecting the seals, backed on an acid free paper. Good colors, impression, and overall condition.

More about this print: Fukami Jikyu was a samurai whose skills were no longer needed once peace was established under the Tokugawa Shogunate. He joined the Otokodate, groups of able fighters that were charged - or charged themselves - with keeping the peace. In many areas they developed into organized crime families, and they were often associated with excessive behavior and pride.

Here, Jikyu strolls boldly through the streets of the pleasure district, with an oversized sunflower pattern on his robe that is seemingly in competition with the frail cherry petals in the moonlight. The poem loosely translates as: "Famous moon, look at me! - I'm holding the stage."

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.