About This Print
One of 261 prints from the series Nōgakuzue (Illustrations of Noh). The print depicts a scene from the Noh play Kazuraki, attributed to the playwright Zeami Motokiyo (1363-1443) in which a yamabushi priest (note the characteristic hat) sits before an old woman transformed into a goddess.
For another rendition of this play by the artist see IHL Cat. #283.
For background on the Noh theater see the article on this site "Noh - A Brief Summary by Beata Kubiak Ho-Chi".
The Play - Shunkan
Sources: The Beauty of Silence: Nō and Nature Prints by Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927), Robert Schaap & J. Thomas Rimer, Hotei Publishing, 2010, p. 114.
Before the story of the play unfolds, three men - the priest Shunkan (shite) and the officials Fujiwara no Naritsune (tsure), and Taira no Yasuyori (tsure) - have been exiled to the remote island of Kigaigashima beyond the southern tip of Kyushu. The men were sent away because of their plot to overthrow Taira no Kiyomori. At the beginning of the play, Naritsune and Yasuyori have returned from a mock pilgrimage around the island. Shunkan has remained behind in their miserable dwelling. Then, Kiyomori's emissary (waki) arrives by boat, bringing a pardon for two of the three men. Shunkan's joy soon turns to despair when he learns that he is the only one who will not be permitted to return to the capital. His two companions set off with heavy hearts, leaving him alone to watch their departure.
Right Margin Description of Scene
click on image to enlarge
A Modern Performance of Shunkan
NHK Broadcast
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #999 |
| Title | Shunkan 俊寛 |
| Series | Nōgakuzue 能樂圖繪 (Illustrations of Noh) |
| Artist | Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927) |
| Signature | Kōgyo 耕漁 |
| Seal |  Rekizan, seal no. 59, p. 171 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 is dated Meiji 31, 1898, as follows: 明治三十一年十月一日印刷 Date of Printing: October 1, 1898 (Meiji 31) Date of Issue: trimmed from this print's margin [Note: the print in the Ritsumeikan University collection arcUP0901 carries a printing date of February 10, 1898 and an issuance date of February 15, 1898 明治三十一年二月十日印刷仝年仝月十五日発行] |
| Edition | unknown |
| Publisher | Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya Heikichi 大黒屋平) [Marks: pub. ref. 029] |
| Carver | |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | excellent - backed by light album paper; slight wrinkling |
| Genre | ukiyo-e |
| Miscellaneous | silver metallic highlights |
| Format | oban yoko-e |
| H x W Paper | 9 5/8 x 14 1/8 in. (24.4 x 35.9 cm) |
| H x W Image | 8 7/8 x 13 in. (22.5 x 33 cm) area within printed black border |
| Collections This Print | Art Institute of Chicago 1939.2258.58; Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University AcNo.arcUP0901; University of Pittsburgh 20091209-kogyo-0225 |
| Reference Literature | The Beauty of Silence: Nō and Nature Prints by Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927), Robert Schaap & J. Thomas Rimer, Hotei Publishing, 2010, ill. 62a, p. 114. |
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