Framed Japanese Noh Character Color Woodblock Print by Tsukioka Kogyo

Framed woodblock print by Tsukioka Kogyo of a Noh theater subject titled “Kirokuda”, from the series “Fifty Kyogen Plays”. Kyogen is a traditional form of Japanese comic theater, often performed during the intermissions of Noh plays and designed primarily to make audiences laugh. Approx size of print is 10″ x 15″.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Tsukioka Kogyo, 1869 –1927, was a Japanese artist of the Meiji period. He was a student and adopted son of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and also studied with Ogata Gekkō. Although Kōgyo sometimes painted other subjects, his interest in Noh theater first bloomed in his late 20s, around 1897. At this time, traditional theatrical art was actively redefining itself for the modern era. Shaking off its aristocratic associations, Noh expanded its audience, both to the greater public in Japan and internationally. As the audience of Noh grew, Kogyo broke new ground in the depiction of Noh subjects.