Utagawa Kunimasa: Yakusha gakuya tsu 俳優楽室通 (Guide to the Actors' Dressing-rooms) - British Museum

Artist: Utagawa Kunimasa

Title: Yakusha gakuya tsu 俳優楽室通 (Guide to the Actors' Dressing-rooms)

Date: 1799 (spring, preface)

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Source: British Museum
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Description:

Illustrated book, colour woodblock print. 1 volume. Thirty-six bust portraits of thirty-six actors drawn with poems; with single illustration at beginning of volume. Covers: Original, dark blue. Title slip: Original, printed: Nigao ehon yakusha gakuya tsu, zen (Picture Book of Portraits: Guide to the Actors' Dressing-rooms, Complete) on pink slip pasted in top left corner of cover. Contents: 44 leaves: 5 single pages of Lines to open the preface (Jo-biraki no serifu), 1 double-page illustration of box at theatre, by Utamaro, 1 single page of author's preface by Shikitei Sanba, with illustration of 'Sanbaso', 2 single pages of notes, 36 single-page illustrations by Toyokuni and Kunimasa Love Poems for Actors (Yakusha ni yoseru koi-uta), 38 single pages of Guide to the Kabuki Dressing-rooms (Kabuki gakushitsu tsu) and The Special Spirit of the Supporters of Actors (Yakusha hiiki katagi) by Sanba, 5 single pages of postscript, 1 single page of publisher's colophon. Inscribed and signed.

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