About This Print
One of 200 prints issued as part of the series Nōga taikan (Encyclopedia of Noh Plays), it depicts a scene from the play Yugyō Yanagi by the playwright Kanze Nobumitsu (mid-1400s-1516).For another depiction of this play by the artist see Nōgakuzue, Yugyō Yanagi.
The priest Yugyō passes the barriers at Shirakawa and meets an old man who guides him to an aged and withered willow tree standing on a mound. The man explains that this is the tree made famous by Saigyō who rested in its shade, and then vanishes from sight. That night, after praying at the spot, the priest sees the spirit of the willow tree, which rejoices at his prayers and tells him stories connected with other willows. It then dances for him, but fades from sight again with the coming of dawn.
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For background on the Noh theater see the article on this site "Noh - A Brief Summary by Beata Kubiak Ho-Chi".
The Play - Yugyō Yanagi (The Priest and the Willow)
Source: A Guide to No, P.G. O'Neill, Hinoki Shoten, 1929, p.222.The priest Yugyō passes the barriers at Shirakawa and meets an old man who guides him to an aged and withered willow tree standing on a mound. The man explains that this is the tree made famous by Saigyō who rested in its shade, and then vanishes from sight. That night, after praying at the spot, the priest sees the spirit of the willow tree, which rejoices at his prayers and tells him stories connected with other willows. It then dances for him, but fades from sight again with the coming of dawn.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #145 |
| Title | Yugyō Yanagi 遊行柳 |
| Series | Nōga taikan 能画大鑑 (Encyclopedia of Noh Plays or A Great Mirror of Noh Pictures or A Great Collection of Noh Pictures) |
| Artist | Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927) |
| Signature | Kōgyo |
| Seal |  |
| Date | 1925-1930 |
| Edition | unknown |
| Publisher | Seibi Shoten (or Seibi Shoin), Tokyo |
| Carver | Uchida Eikichi |
| Printer | Yoshida Takesaburō |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | excellent - left margin slightly trimmed; not backed |
| Genre | ukiyo-e |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | oban yoko-e |
| H x W Paper | 10 x 14 in. (25.4 x 35.6 cm) |
| Collections This Print | |
| Reference Literature |
5/1/2019
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