actor print; yakusha-e; ukiyo-e print of kabuki actors
Historical term for a genre of ukiyo-e woodblock prints depicting kabuki actors, popular in the Edo period.
See also: 浮世絵
This actor print depicts a famous kabuki actor from the Edo period.
Among ukiyo-e, actor prints were especially popular.
Compound of 役者 (yakusha, 'actor') and 絵 (e, 'picture'). The term arose in the Edo period alongside the popularity of kabuki and ukiyo-e.