Actor Bandō Tamasaburō V as Ochika
- Date:
- July 1987
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Dimensions:
- 39.2 × 24 cm
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
This 1987 print captures Bando Tamasaburo V in the role of Ochika, rendered in ink and color on paper. Tamasaburo V is widely regarded as the greatest living onnagata (female-role specialist) in kabuki, and his Ochika — a woman caught between duty and forbidden desire — is among his most emotionally complex portrayals. Kokei isolates the actor's face and upper body against a plain ground, concentrating all dramatic tension in the expression, the tilt of the head, and the precise arrangement of costume and wig. The woodblock medium forces each element into deliberate, carved clarity, stripping away the stage's noise to reveal the performance's emotional core.
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Actor Bandō Tamasaburō V as Ochika was created by Tsuruya Kokei (弦屋光溪) in July 1987.
Actor Bandō Tamasaburō V as Ochika depicts kabuki.
Actor Bandō Tamasaburō V as Ochika measures 39.2 × 24 cm.