Unpei - Plate No 125

Date:: Not set
Medium:: Woodblock print
Source:: Japanese Art Open Database

Typical Price

Key value factors: For living or recently deceased artists, limited edition size and gallery representation drive value. Signed and numbered prints from smaller editions are most desirable.

Common examples: $100–$400
Good impressions: $400–$1,500
Premium/scarce: $1,500–$5,000

Description

Unpei, cataloged as Plate No. 125, depicts the footman character whom Nakamura Kichiemon II also portrayed in the separately documented March 1991 print. Unpei is a faithful retainer — the kind of supporting role that populates the feudal world of jidaimono (period plays), carrying messages, guarding gates, and occasionally rising to moments of unexpected heroism. As a standalone character study rather than an actor portrait, this print isolates the role from any specific performer, presenting Unpei's visual identity — the servant's costume, the deferential posture, the face marked by years of loyal service — as an archetype within the kabuki repertoire.