Puppet Master

This oban woodblock print depicts a puppet master, a figure from the Japanese bunraku puppet theater tradition. Bunraku, which originated in Osaka, requires three puppeteers to operate each puppet in full view of the audience, with the chief puppeteer (omozukai) the only one whose face is visible. Domoto's rendering of this theatrical subject connects his printmaking to the performing arts of the Kansai region where he lived and worked. The puppet master's concentration, the relationship between his hands and the puppet they control, and the partial concealment of his body behind the puppet stage create a visually compelling subject. The print bridges Domoto's landscape and figure work, placing a human performer within the structured visual world of traditional theater.