Kogyo Tsukioka (1869-1927) brings the theatrical art of noh to life through rich, painterly colors and shimmering costumes. As noh redefined itself for the modern era, expanding its audience in both Japan and beyond, Kogyo broke new ground in the depiction of noh subjects. Rather than foregrounding the actors’ personas, Kogyo Tsukioka creates a subtle sense of the stage and set to capture the fleeting moments of a live performance. Many of the prints in this collection are embellished with silver and gold metallic pigments.

The Noh Stage: Kogyo presents a selection of woodblock prints from the series A Great Mirror of Noh Pictures (Noga Taikan), a five-album series of 200 designs of famous plays. Originally published between c. 1925-1930, this series was re-released in 1936.