版下画帖 [3]

歌川豊国三世画 · 32 pictures

This is a Japanese picture book (ehon) of woodblock-printed drafts, attributed to the artist Utagawa Toyokuni III, presumably made in Edo-period Japan for a readership of print collectors and kabuki fans. Its pages show outline drawings of kabuki actors in costume, with calligraphic names and crest marks beside each figure. A designer might take from these the bold, economical contour line, the patterned kimono and armour textures, and the dynamic poses of stage performers.

Japanese picture books (ehon)

National Diet Library, Japan (国立国会図書館) · Public Domain Mark (PDM), National Diet Library · More from this library