Shibai kinmō zui : Volume 1 / Shikitei Sanba cho ; Katsukawa Shun'ei, Utagawa Toyokuni ga
Shibai kinmō zui is an Edo-period illustrated book from 1806, written by Shikitei Sanba and published in Edo by Kazusaya Chūsuke, with pictures credited to Katsukawa Shun'ei and Utagawa Toyokuni, about kabuki theatre for a popular readership. Its woodblock pages alternate dense columns of Japanese text with framed scenes of stage action, backstage life, and theatre-going crowds. A designer might take from them the compartmented panel layouts, the bold outlines of figures, and the simplified architectural interiors of the theatre.
