About This Print
One of 261 prints from the series Nōgakuzue (Illustrations of Noh). The print depicts a scene from the play Shiga.
For another depiction of this play by the artist see Nōga taikan, Shiga.
For background on the Noh theater see the article on this site "Noh - A Brief Summary by Beata Kubiak Ho-Chi".
Source: A Guide to No, P.G. O'Neill, Hinoki Shoten, 1929, p.161.
By Zeami
First Group
Zanke, Hōshō, Kongō and Kita schools
Characters:
Act 1:Waki - A Court officialWaki-tsure - two retainersTsure - a wooductterShite - an old woodcutterKyōgen - a local person
Act 2:Nochi-shite - the god Shiga no Myōjin
A Court official who has come to Shiga to view the cherry blossom sees two woodcutters resting under a cherry tree with branches of the blossom added to their already heavy load of wood. Impressed by this, he speaks to them and during their talk, the old man tells of Ōtomo no Kuronushi, the poet of old who is deified and worshiped in the shrine at Shiga. He hints that he is Kuronushi and then vanishes. While the official is resting under the tree that night, he sees the god come and, rejoicing at the prosperous reign, performs a dance.
Right Margin Description of Scene
click on image to enlarge
click on image to enlarge
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #1148 |
| Title | Shiga 志賀 |
| Series | Nōgakuzue 能樂圖繪 (Illustrations of Noh) |
| Artist | Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927) |
| Signature | Kōgyo 耕漁 |
| Seal |  Seal not shown in The Beauty of Silence: Nō and Nature Prints by Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927), Robert Schaap & J. Thomas Rimer, Hotei Publishing, 2010. |
| Date | This collection's print was issued January 25, 1899 as shown in the print's left margin, as follows: Date of Printing: January 20, 1899 (Meiji 32) 明治三十二年一月二十日印刷 Date of Issuance: January 25, 1899 明治三十一年十一月五日発行 The ARC database entry for their print arcUP00950 carries the same dates as this collection's print. 明治三十二年一月二十日印刷仝年仝月廿五日発行 |
| Edition | unknown |
| Publisher |  日本橋区吉川町二番地 松木平吉 (in left margin) followed by Daikokuya seal, as shown on left. |
| Carver | |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | good - album backing; full size; soiling; rubbing along edges of right and left margins |
| Genre | ukiyo-e |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | oban yoko-e |
| H x W Paper | 9 13/16 x 14 5/8 in. (24.9 x 37.1 cm) |
| H x W Image | 8 13/16 x 12 15/16 in. (22.4 x 32.9 cm) area within printed black border |
| Collections This Print | Art Institute of Chicago 1939.2258.105; Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University AcNo. arcUP0950 CoGNo. arcUP0840 AlGNo. arcUP0840; University of Pittsburgh 20091209-kogyo-0282; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 53.2928.6 |
| Reference Literature |
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