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

Art Historical Context

Step into the graceful world of Japanese Noh theater with *Yokihime*, a stunning color woodblock print by Tsukioka Kôgyo from his renowned series *Pictures of Noances (Nogaku Z)*, created in 1898. Kôgyo, a master of the Meiji era (1868–1912), specialized in capturing the ethereal beauty and dramatic intensity of Noh performers. This print, measuring about 25.2 × 37.4 cm, depicts the character Yokihime—likely a noble female figure from a classic Noh play—frozen in a moment of poised elegance, her costume and mask rendered with exquisite detail. Woodblock printing, a pinnacle of Japanese artist...

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...