Comments - This image is indisputably Yoshitoshi’s masterpiece, and may be considered one of the greatest woodblock print designs of all time. The triptych illustrates a tale about the Heian-era nobleman, Fujiwara no Yasumasa, playing his flute on the lonely moor of Ichihara while walking home one night. His brother, Hakamadare Yasusuke (Kidomaru) snuck up on him, intent on robbing him of his elegant robe, but enchanted by Yasumasa's beautiful music, he stopped in his tracks. Kidomaru instead followed his brother home, who only then became aware of his presence and happily gave him a robe.

Yoshitoshi shows Yasumasa absorbed in his playing, standing tall as the wind blows his robes about him, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Kidomaru crouches beside him, ready to draw his sword, completely entranced by the sound of his brother's flute. Misty clouds drift across a warm, yellow full moon glowing in the softly shaded evening sky. The tall grasses are beautifully drawn and seem to rustle in the night breeze, providing an atmospheric setting for the scene. A beautifully composed and lyrical design, capturing a moment in time and transporting the viewer to the scene.

Extremely Rare, Deluxe First State - The triptych we are offering is an extremely rare, deluxe first state, with four specific identifying features. First, the clouds run from left to right, rather than right to left as is commonly seen. Secondly, in the left panel, an additional block is used for the reeds, extending the grasses below the horizon line. Third, this print has the seal type A, which has an exaggerated chisel mark extending beyond the edge of the top right corner of the bottom seal, and is lacking an extended chisel mark at the lower left corner of the bottom seal. Lastly, the white, blind-embossed edge of Yasumasa's sleeve has been overprinted with gold ink. His robe is also a dark orange, which is indicative of the earliest printings of this design.

Academic Reference - The different variations in this triptych are discussed extensively in the recent book "Yoshitoshi: Masterpieces from the Ed Freis Collection," by Chris Uhlenbeck and Amy Riegle Newland, et al. Only two other prints meeting these criteria as a deluxe first state are documented, one in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the other in a private collection. Our triptych is beautifully printed and finely detailed, with masterful bokashi shading in the sky. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the rarest impressions of Yoshitoshi's masterwork "Fujiwara no Yasumasa."

Artist - Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Image Size - 13 7/8" x 27 7/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. A few small holes repaired. Faint ink offsetting at lower left corner of left panel. Please see photos for details. Very nice overall.