Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, "Gravemarker Moon"

Ono no Komachi, one of the greats of the Rokkasen poets of the Heian period, is shown in her later years sitting on a stupa dedicated to Buddha gazing at the beauty of a crescent moon. Notice the aged and battered straw hat hanging across her back.

Series: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
Date: 1886
Size: Oban
Publisher: Akiyama Buemon
Condition: Light spots, unbacked and untrimmed with excellent color and condition
Frame Shown: 16" x 24", Classic Wood, Walnut

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's (1839-1892) Tsuki hyakushi (One Hundred Aspects of the Moon) series of woodblock prints make up some of Yoshitoshi's most recognizable and popular designs today. A number of highly influential compositions make up this series, which illustrates Chinese and Japanese history, folklore, and literature with the moon as a unifying theme. Taken as a whole, Yoshitoshi's "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon" is a masterpiece showcasing Yoshitoshi's tremendous talent as an artist and his deep sentimental connection to Japan's rich cultural history.