On a summer night with the moon at its fullest, a husband and wife sit together on a woven rush mat under a gourd trellis, enjoying the cool of the evening.
Next to the man is a sake cup; perhaps he has just enjoyed a cupful as he reclines to view the moon.
Look closely and it becomes clear that the woman is cradling a baby in her arms.
The waka poem that forms the title of this print refers to the man’s tetera, which is a type of knee-length undergarment, while the woman’s futano is the slip around her waist.
Warriors feature heavily in the ‘Tsuki Hyakushi’ series, making this sort of scene-a nameless farming family in peace and harmony-very unusual.
There is palpable affection in Yoshitoshi’s gaze.

Commentary on "One Hundred Phases of the Moon" : Mr. Kenji Hinohara – Chief Curator of Ota Memorial Museum of Art