The Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry as Kabuki Actors (Yakusha sanjūrokkasen)
The Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry as Kabuki Actors is an illustrated woodblock book printed in Edo in 1835 by the publishers Nakamuraya Katsugorō and Nishimuraya Yohachi, with designs by Utagawa Kunisada. Each double-page spread pairs a half-length portrait of a kabuki actor with a poem written above it. The bold black outlines, patterned kimono and striped robes, and flat areas of colour offer designers a clear model for graphic character portraits and patterned textile motifs.
