Dai Rokuten, from the series "Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue)"

Art Historical Context

Tsukioka Kôo’s *Dai Rokuten* captures a compelling moment from traditional Japanese Noh theater, part of his celebrated series *Pictures of No Performances (Nog Zue)*. Created 1898, print portrays a scene from this ancient dramatic form, where masked performers enact stories drawn from history, legend, and the supernatural. Kôgyo’s work highlights the elegance and intensity of Noh, preserving its rituals and costumes for audiences at a time when Japan was rapidly modernizing. As a color woodblock print measuring approximately 25.2 × 37.4 cm, the piece exemplifies the refined techniques of lat...

About the Artist

Tsukioka Kôgyo · 1869–1927

Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869–1927), born Hanyū Bennosuke in Tokyo's bustling Nihonbashi district as the second son of an innkeeper family, navigated a path from humble origins to mastery in Japanese printmaking. After his father's early death, he was raised by his mother's Sakamaki family and apprenticed in pottery painting under his uncle, a ceramics exporter in Yokohama. He briefly attended the Tokyo Sc...