Santo yakusha suikoden : Volume 1 / Goryūtei, Tokusho cho; Gototei Kunisada ga
A Japanese woodblock illustrated volume printed in Edo in 1829 by the publisher Tsuruya Kiemon, with text by Goryutei Tokusho and pictures by Utagawa Kunisada, made for a popular readership of theatre enthusiasts. The pictures are paired double-page spreads of kabuki actors in costume, posed in bold black-and-white line with dense columns of calligraphy framing each figure. A designer might take the strong figure silhouettes, the patterned kimono and armour textures, and the framed vertical text layouts.
