Good condition. SEE: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/154690/hashi-benkei-from-the-series-one-hundred-no-dramas-nogaku-hyakuban Description: Original woodblock print – Tsukioka Kogyo (1869-1927) – Hashi Benkei, from the series "One Hundred No Dramas (Nogaku hyakuban)" – around 1921 This work is also Kougyo’s representative series work. The signature is ‘Kougyo’ 耕漁 Kōgyo's Vertical Noh Prints: Shortly before his death in early 1927, Kogyo completed work on his masterpiece series, "One Hundred Noh Dramas." This beautiful series took several years to complete, and reflects Kogyo's consummate skill in drawing and composition. The Noh Theater in Japan is known for its spare stage decoration and sumptuous costumes, and Kogyo's minimalist designs reflect this. Delicate patterning, lush coloring, and embellishments such as silver and gold mica and embossing capture the rich costumes worn by the actors. The soft watercolor - like backgrounds provide a painterly contrast to the carefully detailed figures. These wonderful prints required extreme care on the part of the carvers and printers to bring Kogyo's vision to life. The great Noh print master Kogyo reached the pinnacle of his career with these wonderful, vertical Noh designs. His fantastic series is a great favorite of collectors and a rare and desirable set. Author: Kōgyo Tsukioka (月岡 耕漁, Tsukioka Kōgyo), sometimes called Kōgyo Sakamaki (坂巻 耕漁, Sakamaki Kōgyo), (April 18, 1869 – February 25, 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. Kōgyo’s style was heavily influenced by the traditional Japanese theater form of kabuki and Noh. He specialized in creating prints and paintings of actors in costume and in dramatic poses, often surrounded by elaborate sets and scenery. His works were highly detailed and meticulously rendered, capturing the beauty and drama of the kabuki performances. Unlike most ukiyo-e prints, his works have an almost painterly quality and use gold and silver for the Noh costume embellishments. Kogyo’s woodblock prints required very skilled engravers and printers to produce. Kōgyo’s contributions to the art world were widely recognized during his lifetime. He was a member of the prestigious Tokyo School of Fine Arts and was awarded numerous prizes and honors for his work. His prints and paintings were exhibited in galleries around the world, including the Tokyo National Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.