Ohta Masamitsu (Ota)

Cataloged under an alternate spelling of the artist's name, this 1954 oban woodblock print represents one of Ota Masamitsu's works recorded without a descriptive title. The spelling "Ohta" follows an older romanization convention for the Japanese long vowel "o," which modern systems render as "Ota" or "Ota." This variation has created confusion in databases and auction records, sometimes leading to the same artist being cataloged under two separate entries. The 1954 date places this print during Masamitsu's most productive period of kabuki portraiture, when he was regularly attending performances at the Kabuki-za and other Tokyo theaters to sketch actors in role. Any unidentified work from this period would almost certainly be a yakusha-e actor portrait, rendered in the oban format with the vivid colors and precise line work that the kabuki genre demands.