Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) 芳年
Title: Monkey-music Moon 猿楽月 Series: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon 月百姿
Date: 1892
A samurai in perfect, formal clothes stands facing away from boisterous crowds, his mien not of disdain but of distance. In the Edo period, the emperor sent an envoy to Edo early in the New Year. For this imperial envoy a Noh play was performed, and it included kyôgen, comic interludes that offer a lift during the more somber Noh acts. This envoy was entertained along with other distinguished guests, and the public could also come and watch. The performance began in the morning, so here we see beneath the dawn moon a group of men rushing to find seats, carrying umbrellas in case of rain. Sarugaku literally means “monkey music”, whose comic roots evolved into Noh. According to John Stevenson, Yoshitoshi became more and more drawn to both the emotion and the restraint of Noh towards the end of his life. Here we feel both the formal and precise aspect of Noh contrasted with the more frenzied aspects of kyôgen. The screen that is also very formally painted with a crane is facing the same direction as the figure, whose beautiful formal robes are patterned with subtle dots that create stylized waves.
Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition.
Dimensions: ôban 35.7 x 24 cm
Publisher: Akiyama Buemon
Literature: John Stevenson, Yoshitoshi’s One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (San Francisco: San Francisco Graphic Society, 1992), number 92. See British Museum, Portland Art Museum.
Signature: Yoshitoshi
SKU: YOT938
