$300–$3,000. Common kabuki prints: $300–$800. Key value factors: Ota's kabuki prints are modestly priced. Bold, well-preserved actor portraits are most sought after.
This 1955 [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print, cataloged under the artist's own name, is another work by Ota Masamitsu whose specific kabuki subject has not been recorded in available databases. By 1955, Masamitsu had established himself as one of the postwar period's most dedicated [yakusha-e](/glossary/yakusha-e) artists, producing portraits of kabuki actors that continued a tradition stretching back to the golden age of [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e). His prints served as both artistic objects and theatrical souvenirs, purchased by audience members who wanted to take home a visual record of a memorable performance. The absence of a descriptive title leaves the specific actor and role unidentified, but the print would exhibit the hallmarks of Masamitsu's kabuki work: vivid kumadori makeup rendered with carved precision, elaborate costumes printed in rich, saturated colors, and the frozen dynamism of a dramatic mie pose.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Ota Masamitsu was created by Ota Masamitsu (太田雅光) in 1955.
Ota Masamitsu depicts figures, kabuki, and portraits.
