Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) Japanese, (2) Damaged Woodblock Prints. The most damaged piece is titled "Kazan Temple Moon - Tsuki Hyakushi" and was first printed in 1880, from the "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon" series, depicting the young Emperor Kazan after he was tricked into abdicating his throne and retired to a temple. The less damaged piece is titled "Looking Indecisive: Customs and Manners of a Proprietress of the Kaei Era" from the "32 Aspects of Customs and Manners" series first printed in 1888. Both works are adorned with kanji  and signature seals throughout. 

Condition: Loss to paper and staining. See pictures. 

Overall Size: 16 1/2 x 13 1/2 in. 

Sight Size: 12  x 9 1/2 in. 

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) is considered the last great master and innovator of traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printing, although frequently disregarded in favor of earlier artists like Hiroshige, Utamaro, and Toyokuni until a cultural reappraisal in the 1970s. His career spanned a time of profound cultural transition, capturing both the final years of the feudal Edo period and the rapid modernization of the Meiji Restoration, and his thematic series and artistic style shifted throughout his lifetime to reflect this. Apprenticed at age 11 to the legendary master Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi developed impeccable draftsmanship and incorporated elements of Western perspective into his work. During the volatile 1860s he achieved massive public notoriety for his highly graphic “Bloody Prints,” which vividly mirrored the real-world violence fracturing Japanese society. Despite suffering severe bouts of mental illness, financial ruin, and the rise of competing technologies like photography, he staged a creative revival in the 1880s, changing his artist name to Taiso, meaning “great resurrection.” His final productive years yielded some of his most celebrated masterpieces, including the ethereal series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, cooperating with fellow artists and actors to keep traditional Japanese arts alive until his rapid deterioration and death from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 53.

Loss to paper and staining. See pictures. 

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