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PROPERTY OF AN ENGLISH LADY

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)
The Yugao ('Evening Faces') Chapter from the Tale of Genji (Genji yugao no maki)
Woodblock print, from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi)
Signed Yoshitoshi and with artist's seal Taiso, engraver's mark Yamamoto, published by Akiyama Buemon, 1885
Vertical oban (36.3 x 24.4cm.)
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Lot Essay

The epic 11th century novel Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) follows the complicated life and romances of Prince Genji, and the story has inspired endless authors and artists over the following centuries. This design by Yoshitoshi is based upon chapter 4 from the tale, where a beautiful but reclusive lady lives alone in a neglected mansion covered by vines with flowering yugao blossoms. As she refuses to tell Genji her name, he calls her Yugao and soon after they become lovers. However a short time after, Lady Rokujo, one of Genji's jealous former lovers, haunts Yugao and takes her life.

Yoshitoshi's haunting design depicts the sad ghost of Yugao surrounded by twisting vines of yugao.

See Lot 66 for the complete group of one hundred designs from this series.

For another impression in the collection of the British Museum, registration number 1906,1220,0.1437, go to www.britishmuseum.org/research

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