Otaka Gengo Tadao 大高源五忠雄 / Gishi shijushichi zu 義士四十七図

This print belongs to Gekko's series Gishi shijushichi zu (Pictures of the Forty-Seven Loyal Retainers), a systematic survey of the ronin who carried out the Ako vendetta of 1703. The series title identifies each subject individually, pairing the man's name with his place in the larger narrative of collective loyalty. Otaka Gengo Tadao, depicted here, was notable among the ronin for his use of a haiku circle as cover during the surveillance phase of the plot. Gekko's treatment within such series typically combines psychological characterization through facial expression with historically specific costume detail — swords, crests, and clan colors rendered with careful accuracy. The series reflects the Meiji period's sustained interest in the Chushingura story as a vehicle for nationalistic moral instruction.