Bonso Tsukiyo ni Keishi o Uku (A Buddhist Monk Receives Cassia Seeds on a Moonlit Night)

This print is part of Yoshitoshi's famous series "100 Aspects of the Moon" which depicts scenes from traditional Chinese and Japanese history and lore. In Chinese lore, 8 giant cassia trees grow on the moon. Here, Arhat, an enlightened monk, catches their falling seeds, which were thought to have magical properties because of their perpetual renewal. The moon doubles as his halo.