Kotei, from the series "Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue)"
1898
Medium
Color woodblock print
Dimensions
Approx: 25.2 × 37.4 cm (10 × 15 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
154949
Art Historical Context
Step into the graceful world of Japanese Noh theater with *Kotei*, a captivating color woodblock print from Tsukioka Kôgyo's renowned series *Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue)*, created in 1898. Kôgyo, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition during Japan's Meiji era, specialized in vivid depictions of Noh actors in iconic poses, capturing the ethereal essence of this ancient performance art. Here, *Kotei*—likely portraying a character from the classic Noh repertoire—showcases the performer's elaborate costume, mask-like expression, and dynamic stance, evoking the ritualistic drama of supernat...
About the Artist
Tsukioka Kôgyo · 1869–1927
Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869–1927), born Hanyū Bennosuke in Tokyo's bustling Nihonbashi district as the second son of an innkeeper family, navigated a path from humble origins to mastery in Japanese printmaking. After his father's early death, he was raised by his mother's Sakamaki family and apprenticed in pottery painting under his uncle, a ceramics exporter in Yokohama. He briefly attended the Tokyo Sc...