"Nakamura Jyakuemon as Ginpei's Wife Oryu"

Nakamura Jakuemon IV (1920–2012) was one of the preeminent onnagata specialists of the twentieth century, celebrated for roles demanding psychological complexity and refined feminine bearing. In this print, Kokei portrays him as Oryu, the wife of the character Ginpei, from a sewamono play set in the townspeople's world of Edo. Oryu is a role calling for restrained emotion under duress — a loyal wife in difficult circumstances — and Kokei's close-up portrait format emphasizes the actor's facial expression and costume detail. The characteristic onnagata wig, layered kimono collar, and koshimaki would be rendered with precision across multiple color blocks. Kokei's actor portraits typically use a tight bust or three-quarter format that isolates the figure against a plain or minimally worked ground, allowing the specificity of costume and makeup to read clearly without compositional distraction.