Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

1839-1892

One Hundred Aspects of the Moon: no. 48, Huai River moon, Wu Zixu
(Tsuki hyakushi: Waisui no tsuki- Goshisho)

signed Yoshitoshi with artist's seal Taiso, engraver's mark Enkatsu, and published by Akiyama Buemon, ca. 1887

oban tate-e 13 7/8 by 9 1/2 in., 35.2 by 24.1 cm

This print depicts a fisherman resting happily as two officials in Chinese dress approach him through the reeds. The title indicates that one of the officials is Wu Zixu, a 6th and 5th century B.C. warrior who, after being exiled from his native Chu Kingdom, returns with the help of local fishermen to violently re-conquer Chu.

However, Stevenson suggests the fisherman depicted could reference an entirely different historical figure, Jiang Ziya (Kyoshiga in Japanese), an 11th century A.D. Daoist sage who so impressed the Emperor he was brought to court to serve as counselor for twenty years.

Reference:
John Stevenson, Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, 2001, cat. no. 48
(inv. no. 10-3393)

price: $400