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Edutainment > Ota Masamitsu - 1892-1975
Ota Masumitsu, 1892-1975, is one of the lesser known artists of the Japanese shin hanga art movement who designed woodblock prints of kabuki actors. But that means in no way that his prints are inferior to those of Natori Shunsen or others. Ota Masamitsu is a tip for collectors of shin hanga and of modern kabuki prints.
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Ota Masamitsu or Ota Gako
Ota Masamitsu is also known by the name of Ota Gako. He was active for the kabuki theater, and made book illustrations in this field.
Woodblock Prints during the Later Shin Hanga Period
Natori Shunsen - Biography
Akutaro - Figures of Modern Stage - Detail
copyright protected
Ota Masamitsu began as a print artist after world war II. It is said that he had made one design for the famous Tokyo publisher Watanabe Shozaburo. But we have never seen such a design. For sure and well-known are two series of twelve prints each, that were published by Banchoro studio.
The first series was published around 1950 and was titled 'Showa Butai Sugata' (Figures of Showa Stage). The second series was published around 1955 and was titled 'Gendai Butai Geika' (Figures of Modern Stage). The carver was Ito Susumu and the printer Ito Shuntaro.
Rare Collector Prints
Yoshikawa Kanpo - Biography
Kikugoro - Figures of Modern Stage - Detail
copyright protected
Both series are brilliant in their detailed depictions, the fine gradations to achieve a three-dimensional impression, the realistic rendering of texture like the actors' clothes, and the individual characterizations of the artists.
Technically made superb, these Japanese woodblock prints are an excellent recommendation for collectors of Japanese prints and for friends of the Japanese kabuki theater.
These woodblock prints are rather rare in the market. They are not quite cheap but still very affordable.
Dieter Wanczura
(July 2009)
Figures of Showa Stage
In Japanese: Showa Butai Sugata.
Figures of Modern Stage
In Japanese: Gendai Butai Geika.
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