100 Aspects of the Moon # 98 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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

Woodblock Prints Title: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon # 98 The moon’s four strings (Tsuki no yotsu no o)

1st Publication: August 1891

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

Date of this edition: August 1891

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon

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

More about this print: The blind musician tuning a string on his biwa is Semimaru, a 10th-century poet of noble birth, who once served prince Atsuzane at the imperial court, but retired to live alone on Mount Ausaka near Kyoto. His life inspired a Noh play, which has the following verse: "The first string and the second sound wildly - the autumn wind brushes the pines and falls with broken notes - the third string and the fourth - the fourth string is myself, Semimaru - and four are the strings of the biwa I play."

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.