Gihachiro Okuyama’s mid-century woodblock “鎌倉の大佛 (The Great Buddha in Kamakura)” captures the serene 11m Amitabha Buddha of Kotoku-in under a violet dusk sky. Pilgrims climb the broad stone steps framed by a tiered pagoda, blossoming cherry branches, and towering pines - an evocative scene of twilight devotion. ⛩️🌅
- Year & Edition: Original blocks carved 1949; printed by 京都版画院 (Kyoto Hanga-in), later edition circa 1960–1980 (printer seal “Shinagawa”; inscription partially unreadable; signed/sealed to margin).
- Medium: Woodblock.
- Dimensions: Sheet H: 42.00 cm × W: 29.25 cm.
- Condition: Fine; stored in original mount/folder; strong impression with rich bokashi shading to the lower half.
- Notes: Completed in 1243 and exposed to the open air after typhoons (1334, 1369) and a 1498 tsunami destroyed its hall, Kotoku-in’s Great Buddha remains a National Treasure and pilgrimage site. Okuyama’s contemporaries - including Kawase Hasui, Tsuchiya Koitsu, and Tokuriki Tomikichiro - also depicted this iconic figure, but this print uniquely conveys its twilight majesty.
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