Nakamura Utaemon in a Courtesan Role
- Date:
- 1989
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
Nakamura Utaemon appears in a courtesan role in this 1989 woodblock print, his identity as one of the twentieth century's supreme onnagata lending every gesture aristocratic refinement. The courtesan (keisei or tayu) ranks among kabuki's most visually spectacular female roles: towers of hairpins, cascading layers of brocade kimono, and the slow, swaying gait dictated by towering wooden geta transform the male actor into an image of impossible feminine elegance. Utaemon's particular genius lay in making these elaborate costumes seem natural rather than burdensome, moving within them as though the silk and lacquer were extensions of the body itself. Kokei preserves this illusion in carved wood and printed pigment.
More Prints by Tsuruya Kokei
Kataoka Nizaemon XIII as Ishikawa Goemon in the play Sanmon Gosan no Kiri
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The Tayu (High-ranking Courtesan)
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Onoe Baiko VII as Masaoka 七世尾上梅幸の乳人政岡 / Bust portraits VIII (Design 4) 第八期大首絵シリーズの４
Woodblock print
Ichikawa Danshiro IV as Akushichibyoe Kagekiyo
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nakamura Utaemon in a Courtesan Role was created by Tsuruya Kokei (弦屋光溪) in 1989.
Nakamura Utaemon in a Courtesan Role depicts kabuki and bijin-ga.