100 Aspects of the Moon # 97 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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

Woodblock Prints Title: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon # 97 The moon and the abandoned old woman (Obasute no tsuki)

1st Publication: June 1891

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

Date of this edition: June 1891

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: A scene from the Noh play Obasuteyama i.e. "The mountain where the old woman was left to die". According to Japanese folklore, peasant families in certain regions abandoned elderly family members that had become a nuisance, and left them in the wilderness to die from starvation or exposure. Obasuteyama is also used as a symbol of self-sacrifice by the elders. A similar theme can be found in the 1983 movie Narayama Bushiko (“The Ballad of Mount Nara”) by Shohei Imamura. Yoshitoshi depicts a young man carrying an old woman up a mountain. Their path crosses a large pine tree, usually a symbol for long and healthy life.

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.