Yoshitoshi, Mount Ji Ming Moon, 1886

Yoshitoshi, Mount Ji Ming Moon, 1886, originally uploaded by Gatochy.

June 1886 --- Zi Fang was a hero of the wars that led to the establishment of the Han dynasty in China in the third century B.C. On the night before the battle of Ji Ming Mountain, he played melodies of the province of the opposing army so sweetly that they were demoralized. --- Image by © Asian Art & Archaeology, Inc./CORBIS

Yoshitoshi, Pirate Chief, 1869

Yoshitoshi, Pirate Chief, 1869, originally uploaded by Gatochy.

A pirate chief called Gonzo stands on his ship under the moon, holding a Western revolver. When this print was made, Japan was in the process of opening its doors to the West after two centuries of self-imposed isolation, and foreign items had an exotic fascination. --- Image by © Asian Art & Archaeology, Inc./CORBIS.