Hōjō Nantei "South garden of the Hōjō" Sōsaku Hanga woodblock print by Masao Ido

Hōjō Nantei (方丈南庭) "South garden of the Hōjō", Sōsaku Hanga woodblock print by Masao Ido 1990

A raked gravel garden in raking light, reduced to stone, shadow and rhythm. In Hōjō Nantei (方丈南庭), Masao Ido takes one of the quietest places in Japanese culture, the dry garden before a Zen abbot's quarters, and gives it a graphic, almost modernist clarity. Concentric ripples of combed gravel swell around a single upright stone. Dark rock formations anchor the left. A diagonal pavement of pale grey and blue tiles leads the eye toward the shadowed timber doors beyond. The palette is restrained, but the surfaces are rich, with the speckled texture of the gravel and paper-white shōji panels printed in carefully layered blocks.

This is a fine impression of a limited edition, numbered 12/150, dated '90, titled and signed in pencil by the artist, and bearing his red seal. It comes in its original Japanese frame with a white mat, which suits the print's tonal calm. Its cool greys make it easy to place in a minimalist, mid-century or contemporary interior, where it works as a meditative counterpoint to wood, leather and stone.

About the artist

Masao Ido (井堂雅夫, b. 1945) is a Kyoto-based printmaker associated with the Sōsaku Hanga ("creative print") tradition, in which the artist conceives, carves and prints the work. He is best known for architectural and garden subjects around Kyoto's temples, rendered in flat planes of colour with subtle surface texture.

About the Hōjō

The Hōjō (方丈) is the abbot's residence of a Zen temple, named for the "ten-foot-square" hut of the sage Vimalakirti. Its south garden (nantei, 南庭) is traditionally a kare-sansui, or dry landscape: raked gravel suggests water and stones suggest islands or mountains. These gardens are meant for contemplation rather than strolling, which is why Ido's composition feels so still.

Details

• Medium: colour woodblock print on washi
• Edition: 12/150, dated 1990
• Signed in pencil, titled and numbered, with red seal
• Frame: original Japanese frame, H 48 × W 60 × D 2.5 cm (H 18.9 × W 23.6 × D 1.0 in)
• Condition: very good, with some light toning to the paper margin

Condition

Wear consistent with age and use.