Yakusha Kijinden (Biographies of Extraordinary Actors)

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Yakusha Kijinden ["Biographies of Extraordinary Actors"]

Tatekawa [Utei], Enba [II] [selections by]; [Utagawa, Kunisada (illustrated by)].

[Edo (Tōkyō): Yamaguchiya Tōbē, Tenpō 4 (1833)].

The first volume of the first series of Yakusha Kijinden. The four-volume work featured biographies of the kabuki actors Ichikawa Ebizō V (1791–1859), Segawa Kikunojō V (1802–1832), Sawamura Tosshō I (1802–1853), and Nakamura Shikan II (1798–1852). This volume covers the first part of the biography of Ebizō V (Danjūrō VII) and includes six double-page woodblock prints featuring the use of karazuri blind embossing and bokashi gradation. The author, Utei Enba II (1792-1862), was a kyōka poet and writer of gesaku (humorous works) and shunpon (erotica). He also used the pseudonym Chikamatsu Monzaemon II. The work has been beautifully illustrated by Kunisada with dramatic, sensitively printed scenes in black and grey hues. 

First volume of first series. One four-hole-bound (yotsumetoji) volume, complete, on double leaves, traditional East Asian binding style (fukurotoji). Original wrappers a little soiled, lightly creased and with a few marks. Loss and stains to mounted daisen title panel. Large but light stain to upper pastedown and first text page. Ex-ownership stamp to first text page. Continuous wormhole to leaves, 4.5 cm at longest point. Thumbing and occasional marks internally. 12 leaves. 22.7 x 15.8 cm.

Yakusha Kijinden (Biographies of Extraordinary Actors)
Price: $340.00 (USD)