The Story Depicted in the Print as Told by John Stevenson

This debonair courtier in his elaborate robes is Taira noTadanori, the younger brother of the infamous Kyomori.  Tadanori studied under the court poetFujiwara no Toshinari and became an accomplished poet himself.  He is remembered for a poem written after hehad lost his way while campaigning:

The day after he wrote this, Tadanori was killed in theBattle of Ichinotani, where he showed great courage.  He was mourned as a peerless warrior, artist,and poet, even by his enemies, and a chapter of the Heike monogatari is devoted to his death.  His headless body was identified by thecherry-tree poem which was found in his sleeve. The year of the battle was 1184, when Tadanori was forty – he was sparedknowledge of the final destruction of his family the following year.

Tadanori’s mistress, Kiku no Mae, is inside the house inthis design.  Tadanori has come to herquarters one moonlit night and finds, to his annoyance, that she is occupiedwith a lady visitor.  He waits outsidefor a long time, noisily opening and closing his fan to gain attention.  Kiku can hear him, but cannot get rid of herguest.  Tadanori hears her say, “Listento the sound of insects calling in the field,” and guesses that she has heardthe sound of his fan.  Eventually he hasto leave, disappointed.  His lover isequally disappointed, and next day sends him a gift of a poem and a kimono.

The title-poem is by Horikawa no Yorimune and is included inthe twelfth-century anthology Shinsen rōeishū. Tadanori’s story is given in Kohon chomonshū, a history written in1254.  It quotes the poem in thecartouche, explaining that Kiku no Mae had it in mind when she made her commentabout the noisy insects.

A striking juxtaposition of floral and geometric patterns is usedtwice in the design, in the bushclover behind the verandah of the building andin Tadanori’s robe and trousers.  Thelight from the bamboo blind seems luminous, an effect achieved by the lightgreen with which the slats have been printed. Yoshtoshi has caught Tadanori’s impatient stance very well.  With his talent for including appropriate detail,whether consciously or not, he has suggested an erection with Tadanori’spointed black hat.

*かしかまし野もせにすたく虫の音よ 我たになかくものをこそおもへ [Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Library]

Print Details

IHL Catalog	#1670
Title/Description	Taira no Tadanori 平 忠度
Series	One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyaku sugata 月百姿)
John Stevens Reference No.*	86
Artist	Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)
Signature	Yoshitoshi 芳年
Seal	Yoshitoshi 芳年
Date	October 1890  明治廿三年十月　日
Edition	Likely from a bound album.
Publisher	Akiyama Buemon (秋山武右エ門) [Marks: seal 26-132; pub. ref. 005]
Carver	江仙刀 carving by Esen
Impression	excellent
Colors	excellent
Condition	excellent - original backing; several dots of red ink in image.
Genre	ukiyo-e
Miscellaneous
Format	oban
H x W Paper	14 7/16 x 9 11/16 in. (36.7 x 24.6 cm)
H x W Image	12 15/16 x 8 13/16 in. (32.9 x 22.4 cm)
Collections This Print	Yale University Art Gallery 2011.143.1.86; The British Museum 1906,1220,0.1413; Tokyo Metropolitan Library 加4722-68 and 5233-60-33; The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University 201-4485 and 201-3296; Ritsumeikan University Art Research Center AcNo. arcUP5583; Spencer Collection, The New York Public Library. (1885 - 1892). Tsuki hyakushi = 100 Aspects of the Moon. Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-caca-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99; Edo-Tokyo Museum 99000955
Reference Literature	* Yoshitoshi’s One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, John Stevenson, Hotei Publishing, Netherlands 2001, pl. 86.