100 Aspects of the Moon # 41 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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

Woodblock Print Title: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon # 41 Moon over the pine forest of Mio Kyomi Coast

1st Publication: 1886

Size: Oban; 9 1/2" x 14" (24.2 x 35.6 cm)

Date of this edition: 1886

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon

Condition: Mild fading, else fine

More about this print: The warrior surveying the scene is Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), warlord and daimyo of the land-locked Kai province that includes Mount Fuji. He eventually conquered a large part of his region, including Suruga province that gave him access to the sea.

Takeda sits here looking at Mount Fuji across Suruga Bay. The poem reads: “On the coast at Kiyomi, even the sky bars the way - the moon is blocked by the Mio pine groves.” There is some mystification around his death in 1573. According to one story, it was kept secret for some time in order to confuse the enemy.

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.