Tsuruya Kokei (b. 1946), Actor Onoe Baiko VII as Mokuzume in the play Tamamo no Mae Kumoi no Hareginu, from the series Bust Portraits IV (Design 6), October 1984

Tsuruya Kokei (b. 1946)

Actor Onoe Baiko VII as Mokuzume in the play Tamamo no Mae Kumoi no Hareginu, from the series Bust Portraits IV (Design 6), October 1984

Woodblock print on gampi paper, embellished with gofun (white pigment) on the face and hands
Artist's large red seal: 'Tsuruya Kokei'
Hand-written ink inscription 'sanjuichi' [31] over red seal 'yonjugo-hin' [item 45] [limited edition number 31/45]
Self-carved and self-printed
Date: October 1984

39.6 x 27.3 cm. (15 ⅝ x 10 ¾ in.)

Fine impression and colour, very minor light creases near top edge. Very good condition.

£ 800.00

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Tsuruya Kokei's earlier actor prints differ from most woodblock prints of the period because of his use of 'ganpi' paper from Kochi Prefecture, prized for its translucent delicacy and silken...

Tsuruya Kokei's earlier actor prints differ from most woodblock prints of the period because of his use of 'ganpi' paper from Kochi Prefecture, prized for its translucent delicacy and silken touch. This paper is challenging to work with but its near-weightless quality juxtaposes with the bold, assertive lines of his imagery.

Dr. Gerhard Pulverer is a German medical researcher who worked at the University of Cologne. He bought his first Japanese woodblock prints in Kyoto in the 1970s while visiting Japan for a scientific conference. For more than thirty years, he and his wife Rosemarie travelled the world assembling a large collection woodblock prints and Japanese illustrated books (ehon). In forming the collection, he drew on the advice of highly regarded experts including Jack Hillier, C.H. Mitchell, Tim Clark and Ellis Tinios.

In 2007 the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, DC purchased the illustrated book collection. It is today regarded as one of the most outstanding and comprehensive collections of Japanese illustrated books outside Japan.

For an insightful interview with the collector by Ellis Tinios (on behalf of the Smithsonian National Museum of Art), go to:

https://pulverer.si.edu/node/186

Provenance

Dr. Gerhard Pulverer (b. 1930)

Theatre

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