Sumiyoshi Mode, from the series "Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue)" 1898

Tsukioka Kôgyo created the woodblock print "Sumiyoshi Mode" as part of his series "Pictures of No Performances" sometime before his death in 1927. It depicts a scene from a Noh play, a highly stylized form of Japanese musical drama. We see figures in traditional dress, possibly nobles, within a procession. Noh theatre was historically performed for the elite classes. During the Meiji period in which Kôgyo worked, Noh moved from temples and private residences to public theaters. Woodblock prints like this one made the performances accessible to a wider audience. They also served to preserve and disseminate the art form during a time of rapid modernization, when many traditional arts were under threat. Understanding the social role of art like this requires delving into historical documents and performance records. It's through this kind of research that we can appreciate how art reflects and shapes the society in which it is created.