100 Aspects of the Moon # 63 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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

Woodblock Prints Title: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon # 63 The moon of the moor (Harano no tsuki)

1st Publication: May 1888

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

Date of this edition: May 1888

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon.

Condition: Backed on an acid free album page, else very fine. Excellent colors and impression, very good overall condition.

More about this print: The Heian governor and musician Fujiwara no Yasumasa (958-1036) charms his outlaw brother Hakamadare Yasusake by playing the flute. The bandit had planned to rob him, but the music was so beautiful he could not draw his sword. When Yoshitoshi in this series quotes from earlier work, as in this case from his famous 1868 triptych, he often does so with great restraint. See also prints #61, #70, and #85. In this design, the perspective from behind Yasumasa's back, rather than looking him in the face, works admirably well, and helps to condense the scene into one single sheet.

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.