Title
Cherry trees blossom by the Sumida river/ boats fade from view in the gathering dusk/ at Sekiya as I view the moon - Mizuki Tatsunosuke, from the series One hundred aspects of the moon
June 1891
Artist
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Details
- Alternative title
- sakura saku/ Sumida no kawa ni/ uku fune mo/ kurete Sekiya ni/ tsuki o koso mire - Mizuki Tatsunosuke
- Place where the work was made
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Japan
- Period
- Meiji period 1868 - 1912 → Japan
- Date
- June 1891
- Media category
- Materials used
- colour woodblock; ōban
- Dimensions
- 39.0 x 26.0 cm
- Signature & date
Signed and dated.
- Credit
- Yasuko Myer Bequest Fund 2012
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 258.2012.94
- Copyright
- Artist information
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Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
The famous 'onnagata' Mizuki Tatsunosuke (1673–1745) was a male kabuki actor who specialised in female roles. An edict in 1629 banned women playing parts, and eventually only males were cast in roles. The poem alludes to Tatsunosuke’s journey up the Sumida River to view the cherry blossoms at Sekiya, a village celebrated for its blossoms. Here, the actor is portrayed enjoying the evening along the river with the moon in view. Onnagata shaved their forehead; here, Tatsunosuke wears a purple scarf covering this with an androgynous style top-knot. He wears a bright robe with the feminine sleeves of a 'wakashū', a male prostitute.
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Places
Where the work was made
Japan
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Exhibition history
Shown in 1 exhibition
Yoshitoshi: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 20 Aug 2016–20 Nov 2016
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Bibliography
Referenced in 3 publications
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Yuriko Iwakiri, Yoshitoshi Tsuki hyakushi (Yoshitoshi’s One hundred aspects of the moon), Tokyo, 2010. General reference; Another edition was reproduced
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John Stevenson, Yoshitoshi's One hundred aspects of the moon, Seattle, 1992, (colour illus.). cat.no.94; Another edition was reproduced
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Chris UHLENBECK, Yoshitoshi: masterpieces from the Ed Freis collection, Leiden, 2011, 135-136. General reference; Another edition was reproduced
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