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KOKEI, Tsuruya (born 1946)		The actor, Ichikawa Danjuro XII as Soga no Goro, in the kabuki play, Uirouri From: Kabuki-za okubi-e series no. 5: 'Six selection of aragoto'
		Artist' seal:                  Kokei-no in Date:                             October 1985 Size:                              dai-oban (c. 39 x 26.5 cms / c. 15.3" x 10.5") Hand-numbered: #27. Limited edition of  54 impressions only. Condition: EXCELLENT impression and color. MINT. Printed on the extremely delicate ganpi paper. ref. no.: #702581 Price:  € 1,400.00

Tsuru-ya Kokei is the official artist of the Kabuki-za ('-Theater') in Tokyo and only started his career as a woodblock print artist in 1978. Unlike earlier ukiyo-e artists, Kokei does his own carving and printing. He uses the extremely delicate ganpi paper for his work. After a limited number of prints has been made, Kokei destroys the blocks by carving his name across them (see picture at right): Most of his prints are bust portraits reminiscent of the type developed by Sharaku in the late 18th century. On the occasion of the one hundredth anniversary of the Kabuki-za in 1988, the Pacific Asia Musuem, Pasadena, Ca., honored Kokei with a major exhibition of his work: Reference catalog: The 100th Anniversary of the Kabuki-za Theater - TSURUYA KOKEI: Kabuki Actor Prints; Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, CA., USA, 1988; cat. no.#84, b/w ill. p.88, list no.#81, p.96.

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