Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, "Suzaku Gate Moon"

An accomplished flutist, Hakuga Sammi (Minamoto no Hiromasa) is shown with his back to the viewer playing the flute with a stranger at Suzaku Gate in Kyoto. His skills as a flutist has been recounted in numerous tales throughout Chinese and Japanese folklore and history. The figure facing the viewer is said to be a foreigner. A beautiful composition with wonderful colors.

Series: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
Date: 1888
Size: Oban
Publisher: Akiyama Buemon
Condition: Very light wrinkle center, unbacked with full margins and excellent color
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.