Japanese Book History: A View from USC Libraries

A Book of Actor Likenesses

Yakusha nigao hayageiko (1817) is a book of kabuki actor likenesses, detailing their faces, make-up and hairstyles, as well as famous poses when they played certain characters. Kabuki actors were among the major celebrities of Edo-period (1600-1868) popular culture and their likenesses were a common subject of ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) by famous artists. A book like Yakusha nigao hayageiko distilled this trend into a cheap, black and white, portable format that was perhaps more readily accessible than the more expensive color woodblock print portraits of famous actors. It also gave readers the chance to use the illustrations in the book as a guide to drawing their own actor likenesses. 

Yakusha nigao hayageiko has text written by Jippensha Ikku (1765-1831), a well-known author of popular fiction, and illustrations by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825), a well-known artist. It is an example of how successful artists collaborated with authors as named producers of a work within the vibrant literary and artistic culture of the Edo period.  

Like Kowairo hayagaten, it was woodblock printed on thin, soft kōzo paper and bound in the pouch (fukurotōji) format. As a book aimed at a popular audience, it too featured the use of phonetic glossing of Chinese characters in the text. 

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