Shichi-ki-ochi, from the series "Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue)"
1898
Medium
Color woodblock print
Dimensions
Approx: 25.2 × 37.4 cm (10 × 15 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
154998
Art Historical Context
Behold *Shichi-ki-ochi*, a captivating color woodblock print from Tsukioka Kôgyo's renowned series *Pictures of Noances (Nogaku Z)*, created in 1898. Kôgyo, a master of late Meiji-era printmaking, specialized in documenting the graceful world of Noh theater—one of Japan's most ancient and stylized performance arts. This piece captures a dramatic moment titled *Shichi-ki-ochi* ("The Seven Falls"), likely portraying a performer's poignant, ritualistic descent, embodying Noh's themes of impermanence and spiritual depth. Printed on a modest scale of about 25.2 × 37.4 cm, the work exemplifies the ...
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...