Masao Ido - 浄瑠璃寺 (Jōruri-ji Temple)

A fabulous print by Masao Ido: 浄瑠璃寺 (Jōruri-ji Temple). A stone lantern stands at the centre of a quiet temple garden, set before the wooden facade of Jōruri-ji. A shaped pine extends in from the left, while the patterned screens and dark timber behind create a strong architectural backdrop. Ido reduces the scene to a few carefully balanced elements - stone, wood, moss, and foliage - capturing the still order of the temple grounds. 🌿🏯✨

• Year & Edition: 1983. Ed. 67/150 (signed, titled & editioned in pencil).
• Medium: Woodblock.
• Dimensions: Paper H: 31.50 cm × W: 30.00 cm. Image H: 25.50 cm × W: 25.25 cm.
  
• Condition: A lovely little piece. Minor handling margin edge. ? Inkbleed right edge.
  
• Notes: The stone lantern is an ishidōrō (石灯籠), a traditional feature of Japanese temple and garden design. Jōruri-ji (浄瑠璃寺), located near the Kyoto-Nara border, is known for its historic buildings and carefully composed temple grounds.

About the Artist

Masao Ido (1945-2016) was a printmaker known for his Kyoto scenes, brimming with rich greenery, seasonal shades of signature “Ido Green”, and refined goma-zuri textures. Trained in traditional textile dyeing, he turned to woodblock printmaking in the early 1970s, capturing historic townscapes and seasonal views - from Kyoto to Shirakawa-go and the Nakasendō way. Printed with up to 23 colour blocks on handmade Echizen washi, his works are held in major collections including the MFA Boston, U.S. Library of Congress, and the Tokyo & Kyoto National Museums. [ ← View All Works by Masao Ido]