Masao Ido - 洛北・正伝寺 (Shodenji Temple in Northern Kyoto)

A fabulous print by Masao Ido: Shodenji Temple in Northern Kyoto (洛北・正伝寺). A row of azalea bushes (つつじ) rise from carefully raked gravel - the signature dry garden (枯山水, karesansui) of this quiet Rinzai Zen temple. The view is framed by white walls and deep summer foliage, with glimpses of tiled eaves and a manicured maple hedge beyond. Ido captures the textural stillness and spiritual balance of Shodenji’s famous garden, founded in 1282 and traditionally aligned to frame Mt. Hiei. 🌿🪨

• Year & Edition: 1991 · Ed. 154/180 (signed, titled & editioned in pencil).
  
• Medium: Woodblock.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 33.75 cm × W: 44.50 cm; Image H: 26.00 cm × W: 38.25 cm.
  
• Condition: Good condition - image face unblemished, paper clean, crisp & intact. Minor handling to margin.
  
• Notes: The temple’s floorboards are famously made from “blood-stained ceilings” (血天井, chi tenjō), salvaged from Fushimi Castle after the Siege of 1600. These marks of fallen samurai serve as a stark counterpoint to the calm of the garden, embodying Zen teachings on impermanence and the fragile beauty of life. A powerful and meditative Kyoto scene by Ido. 🏯🍃

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]