100 Aspects of the Moon # 92 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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

Woodblock Print Title: Monkey Music Moon

1st Publication: April 1892

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

Date of this edition: April 1892

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon

Condition: Minor soiling and small stains, else fine.

More about this print: Sarugaku (literally Monkey-music) involved acrobatics, juggling, and mime, combined with drum dancing. It is considered to have been one of the sources from which the Noh theatre developed. The people passing behind a rather stern and aloof looking samurai rush to find seats for the New Year Sarugaku performance on the grounds of Edo Castle.

The samurai may be the envoy that was yearly sent by the emperor in Kyoto, as the on stage screen shows a red-crowned crane and the rising sun, both symbols of the imperial family.

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.