Masamitsu Ohta (1892?-1975) - see Ohta, Masamitsu

Cataloged under a reference-style title that includes the artist's alternate name and life dates, this oban woodblock print represents one of Ota Masamitsu's works whose specific subject has not been recorded with a descriptive title. Masamitsu (also spelled Ohta) was active from the late 1940s through the 1950s, producing kabuki actor portraits and occasional bijin-ga prints. His kabuki prints belong to the tradition of yakusha-e, or actor portraiture, that stretches back to the 18th-century prints of Sharaku, Shunsho, and Kunisada. Any uncataloged work by Masamitsu would likely depict a kabuki actor in role, captured during a specific performance at one of Tokyo's theaters. The oban format and woodblock medium are consistent across his known output, reflecting the standardized production parameters of the shin-hanga publishing system within which he worked.