$500–$5,000. Common prints: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: Kitaoka's refined style has a modest but loyal collector base.
The Omizutori (Water-Drawing Festival) at Nigatsudo Hall of Todaiji Temple in Nara is one of Japan's most ancient and dramatic religious rituals — held each March since 752 CE, featuring large torches carried along the hall's upper balcony, their sparks cascading into the night below like fire rain. Kitaoka, born in Nara Prefecture, brings a personal connection to this subject in this 2000 print. The festival's combination of fire, darkness, and sacred space suited his mature formal vocabulary: the torches becoming explosions of light within the night composition.
伏見稲荷
Woodblock print
c. 1832/38
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
Uji Byodoin no ichibu
1921
Color woodblock print; oban
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Water-Drawing Festival (omizutori) at the Nigatsudo Hall of Todaiji, Nara was created by Fumio Kitaoka (北岡文雄) in 2000.
Water-Drawing Festival (omizutori) at the Nigatsudo Hall of Todaiji, Nara depicts temples & shrines, architecture, and summer, set at Nara.
Water-Drawing Festival (omizutori) at the Nigatsudo Hall of Todaiji, Nara measures 39.7 × 54.8 cm.
