The Eighth Month (Hachi-gatsu)

Catalog note / 解説

The Eighth Month, from the series Fashions of the Twelve Months, signed Ishikawa Toyomasa ga. Ishikawa Toyomasa was a print designer who specialised in pictures of children. This print belongs to a series of twelve prints entitled ‘Fashions of the Twelve Months’, which depicts children at play in each month of the calendar year. The children in the foreground of this print are distracted from their game by the sudden appearance of the full moon through a clearing in the clouds. Moon viewing has long been a popular pastime in Japan, especially on the night of the full moon in the eight month, as depicted here. This moon is considered to be the 'harvest moon' and is the occasion of thanksgivi…