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Nanatsumen by Ota Masamitsu (1892 - 1975)

Original Ota Masamitsu (1892 - 1975) Japanese Woodblock Print
Nanatsumen

Series; The Eighteen Kabuki Plays

The Eighteen Kabuki Plays - Beautiful print from Torii Kiyotada VII's most famous work, "The Eighteen Kabuki Plays," dating to 1895 - 1896. This fantastic series depicts roles from eighteen kabuki plays made famous by the Ichikawa Danjuro line of actors. Working under the artist's name of Tadakiyo, Kiyotada designed the Danjuro roles, and his father, Torii Kiyosada, drew the secondary figures. These dramatic images are beautifully printed with lively color and an allover embossed pattern on the white background. Many feature touches of burnishing or additional embossed details. The bold portraits and striking costumes make these prints graphic masterworks in field of Japanese woodblocks.

The Eighteen Kabuki Plays by Ota Masamitsu - One of the leading kabuki artists of the shin hanga movement, Ota Masamitsu created the series "The Eighteen Kabuki Plays" (Kabuki Juhachiban) around 1931. A popular subject for woodblock print artists, the series depicts celebrated roles from the eighteen kabuki plays made famous by the Ichikawa Danjuro line of actors. Each woodblock comes with an original backing sheet with a tissue paper overleaf in Japanese with information about the drama shown (see example of overleaf below). These great expressive designs feature classic characters in striking poses, and some include deluxe treatments such as embossing or shimmering metallic pigment. Prints by Ota Masamitu are much less well-known than those of his contemporary, Natori Shunsen, so they are more difficult to find. These rare pre-WWII designs are a wonderful choice for a kabuki enthusiast or shin hanga collector.

Artist - Ota Masamitsu (1892 - 1975)

Image Size - Print 8" x 7 1/8", backing sheet 11 1/2" x 8 7/8"

Condition - With excellent color and detail as shown. Print slips into four corner slots in backing sheet. Tissue paper overleaf mounted to top edge of backing sheet. A few prints have faint toning. Tissue paper overleafs toned, some spotted or soiled. Backing sheets toned, some have spotting, some have small tears or creasing at edges. Please see photos for a sense of individual condition. Prints generally in nice condition overall.

Nanatsumen by Ota Masamitsu (1892 - 1975)
Nanatsumen by Ota Masamitsu (1892 - 1975)
Nanatsumen by Ota Masamitsu (1892 - 1975)

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