Farmer Kyusaku - Plate No 114

Kyusaku is a farmer character appearing in sewamono kabuki plays, possibly associated with Kanadehon Chushingura or a similar domestic drama of the Edo period. The Plate No. 114 designation places this print within Kokei's extensive numbered series of actor and character portraits, which spans well over 150 subjects across his career. A farmer role calls for a distinct costume register from the warrior and female roles more commonly associated with Kokei's work: rougher textiles, muted earth tones, and a physicality of posture contrasting with the refined stillness of onnagata portraits. Kokei's key-block draftsmanship defines the character's facial weathering and the texture of working garments across a standard close portrait format, with limited but precisely placed color blocks building the muted palette appropriate to the role. The numbered series format reflects the documentary ambition that links Kokei's work to the Edo-period tradition of yakusha-e.