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

Sarusato is a Meiji woodblock print by Tsukioka Kogyo, published in 1893 in Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue). Kogyo, a pupil of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and Ogata Gekko, devoted nearly his entire mature career to noh-e, a genre he is largely credited with establishing as a respected branch of late nineteenth-century Meiji woodblock production. This print conforms to the conventions of the series: a low ground line, sparse setting and concentrated focus on the costumed figure, faithful to the bare cedar stage of the noh theater. The keyblock outline preserves the silhouette of the formal robe and the disciplined posture of the figure, while overprinted brocade patterns and selective bokashi gradations build the textiles prized by Meiji-era patrons. A muted palette - earthy ochres, indigo and pale gold - anchors the figure without illusionistic background, allowing the costume and choreographed stance to remain the primary visual subjects. Kogyo's documentary precision came from his unusual access to performances at the Hosho and Kanze schools during the Meiji noh revival, when patrons including Iwakura Tomomi worked to restore the repertoire after the Restoration. Pictures of No Performances, issued by Matsuki Heikichi, was Kogyo's first dedicated noh series and the prelude to the monumental One Hundred No Dramas. Together they form the most ambitious printed record of late nineteenth-century noh. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this impression as part of its substantial Kogyo collection. Source: Art Institute of Chicago (https://www.artic.edu/artworks/154953).