Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

1839-1892

One Hundred Aspects of the Moon: no. 33, Dawn moon of the Shinto rites -festival on a hill
(Tsuki hyakushi: Shinji no zangetsu -oyama no matsuri)

signed Yoshitoshi with artist's seal Yoshitoshi, engraver's mark not given, and published by Akiyama Buemon, ca. 1886

oban tate-e 13 7/8 by 9 1/2 in., 35.2 by 24.1 cm

The Sanno Festival, still held in Kyoto and Tokyo today, is a Shinto celebration in which processionals display shrines alongside colorful floats, dancers, and other devotees. In this composition, a richly decorated float holding either a real person or mechanical figure passes Edo castle. Yoshitoshi himself painted such figures for the Sanno Festival three years before designing this print, and had the opportunity to ride in a parade float with some of his students.

To the side of the composition, a rooster stands on top of a ceremonial drum. In ancient China, such a drum would be placed outside the palace and beaten by dissatisfied subjects. When disuse allowed the drum to become a roosting place for chickens during the peaceful reign of Emperor Yao (2356-2255 B.C.), the image of a rooster upon a drum became a symbol for good governance.

Reference:
John Stevenson, Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, 2001, cat. no. 33

(inv. no. 10-3378)

price: Sold