Roppo, from the series "Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue)"

Roppo is a Meiji woodblock print by Tsukioka Kogyo, published in 1893 in Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue). The title refers to the vigorous six-directional exit, a stylized walking sequence used by characters in the noh and kabuki traditions to convey decisive movement across the stage. Kogyo, who studied first with Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and then with Ogata Gekko, treats this kinetic subject with the disciplined restraint that defines noh-e. The composition follows the conventions of the bare cedar noh stage: a low ground line, sparse setting and concentrated focus on the figure. The keyblock outline preserves the dynamic silhouette of the actor mid-stride, conveying the energy of the roppo step within the iconic stillness expected of noh-e. Overprinted patterns and selective [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations build the textures of robe and lacing, while a palette of indigo, ochre and small accents of vermilion conveys gravity and motion without breaking the noh aesthetic. Kogyo's documentary precision derived from his unusual access to performances at the [Hosho](/glossary/hosho) and Kanze schools during the Meiji noh revival, when patrons and the state actively sought to rebuild the repertoire after the Restoration. Pictures of No Performances, issued by Matsuki Heikichi, was Kogyo's first dedicated noh series and the prelude to the monumental One Hundred No Dramas. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this impression as part of its substantial Kogyo collection, where it serves as an authoritative example of late nineteenth-century Meiji woodblock printing devoted to noh. Source: Art Institute of Chicago (https://www.artic.edu/artworks/155402).