About This Print
One of 261 prints from the series Nōgakuzue (Illustrations of Noh), depicting a scene from the play Mimijigari, written by Kojirō, in which a lady of rank who has entertained Tairo no Koremochi, shown arising and about to draw his sword, reveals herself as a demon.
For background on the Noh theater see the article on this site "Noh - A Brief Summary by Beata Kubiak Ho-Chi".
The Play - Momijigari 紅葉狩 (Maple Viewing)
Source: The Beauty of Silence: Nō and Nature Prints by Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927), Robert Schaap & J. Thomas Rimer, Hotei Publishing, 2010, p. 126.
In the piece, the Taira warrior Koremochi (waki) is hunting in the sacred Togakushimountains when he comes across a beautiful woman (shite) and her lovely companions (tsure) banqueting under the maple leaves. They give him wine, and he falls asleepwatching them dance. Soon the womanreturns to her true form of a demon. Meanwhile, however, the god from a nearby shrine has come to Koremochiand warned him of this danger. Heawakens in time to vanquish the demon with a sword the god has brought to him.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #1672 |
| Title | Momijigari 紅葉狩 (Maple Viewing) |
| Series | Nōgakuzue 能樂圖繪 (Illustrations of Noh) |
| Artist | Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927) |
| Signature |  |
| Seal |  |
| Date |  Meiji 3oth year, 10th month, 10th day / Meiji 30th year, 10th month, 15th day 明治三十年十月十日印刷 仝年仝月十五日発行 Other impressions are listed with a date of Meiji 31 (1898). |
| Edition | likely first |
| Publisher |  |
| Carver | |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | excellent - lightly and evenly toned |
| Genre | ukiyo-e |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | oban yoko-e |
| H x W Paper | 9 3/4 x 14 3/16 in. (24.8 x 36 cm) |
| H x W Image | 8 15/16 x 12 15/16 in. (22.7 x 32.9 cm) area within printed black border 9 1/4 x 12 15/16 in. (23.5 x 32.9 cm) area including image continuing outside top black border |
| Collections This Print | University of Pittsburgh Special Collections 20091209-kogyo-0172; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 2011.1707, 2016.1034; Art Institute Chicago 1939.2258.44; Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University AcNo. arcUP0856 CoGNo. arcUP0840 AlGNo. arcUP0840 |
| Reference Literature |
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