{"title":"Meiji (1868-1912)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eMeiji-period ukiyo-e transformed from a traditional artistic medium into a reactive, journalistic tool that chronicled Japan’s rapid industrial modernization. The era is defined by the explosive introduction of imported, chemically synthesized German aniline dyes, which yielded highly saturated, piercing shades of red and purple that earned these works the moniker aka-e\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e (\"red pictures\")\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e. The genre adapted to public anxieties through distinct subgenres: kaika-e\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e (enlightenment pictures), senso-e\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e (highly stylized, nationalistic war propaganda triptychs), and visceral, supernatural tales of the grotesque\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-moon-s-four-strings-tsukioka-yoshitoshi","title":"The Moon’s Four Strings — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892)\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTitle\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Moon’s Four Strings: Semimaru\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeries\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne Hundred Aspects of the Moon (\u003cem\u003eTsuki Hyakushi\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDesign Date\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1886\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMedium\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginal Japanese color woodblock print (nishiki-e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eŌban tate-e (vertical format)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaper Size\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eApproximately 14 × 9.5 inches\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescription\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis original 19th-century Japanese woodblock print is from Yoshitoshi’s celebrated late masterpiece, \u003cem\u003eOne Hundred Aspects of the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e, published by Akiyama Buemon beginning in 1885.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Moon’s Four Strings: Semimaru\u003c\/em\u003e depicts the legendary blind musician and poet Semimaru seated beneath a pine tree, playing the biwa, a traditional four-stringed Japanese lute. According to legend, Semimaru was a gifted musician who lived in seclusion near Osaka’s Ausaka Barrier and became associated with stories of music, poetry, and solitude. Yoshitoshi places him beneath a brilliant full moon, absorbed in his instrument while the surrounding grasses and weathered landscape reinforce the sense of isolation. The image is characteristic of Yoshitoshi’s later work, where dramatic action gives way to quieter, more psychological scenes drawn from Japanese history and legend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslation \u0026amp; Inscriptions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeries:\u003c\/strong\u003e One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (月百姿, \u003cem\u003eTsuki Hyakushi\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Moon’s Four Strings (月の四緒, \u003cem\u003eTsuki no yotsu no o\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSubject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Semimaru (蝉丸)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tsukioka Yoshitoshi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Akiyama Buemon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1886\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood.\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate overall toning consistent with age, with more pronounced toning along the margins. Scattered foxing and surface soiling are present, particularly along the margins, with general handling wear and light creasing. Minor edge wear is visible. Colors remain well preserved, with good detail throughout the image.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Artist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892) was one of the great masters of late ukiyo-e and is often regarded as the last major artist of the traditional Japanese woodblock print era. A student of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi worked during Japan’s dramatic transition from the Edo period into the modern Meiji era. His subjects ranged from warriors and supernatural tales to literature, history, poetry, and intimate psychological portraits. His later work became increasingly refined and atmospheric, culminating in \u003cem\u003eOne Hundred Aspects of the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e, the series for which he is perhaps best known today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne Hundred Aspects of the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eTsuki Hyakushi\u003c\/em\u003e) was Yoshitoshi’s most ambitious and celebrated late series. Published between 1885 and 1892, its 100 designs draw from Japanese and Chinese history, literature, mythology, theater, and folklore, with the moon serving as the connecting theme. Sometimes the moon dominates the composition; elsewhere its presence is more subtle, allowing Yoshitoshi to explore ideas of memory, solitude, poetry, heroism, and the supernatural. The series was enormously popular when first published and is now regarded as one of the great achievements of Meiji-period printmaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63107525149043,"sku":null,"price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1008\/3549\/2211\/files\/YGP00276_567ebcc3-02a8-43af-ba56-b57bfc759bf9.jpg?v=1784232006"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1008\/3549\/2211\/collections\/YGP00276_567ebcc3-02a8-43af-ba56-b57bfc759bf9.jpg?v=1786132494","url":"https:\/\/blueskyprintshop.com\/collections\/meiji-1868-1912.oembed","provider":"Blue Sky Print Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}