Tower of Kinkaku-ji Temple
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Honolulu Museum of Art
Description
Depicting the golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, one of Kyoto's most iconic structures, this oban woodblock print by Hasegawa Sadanobu III renders the three-story Zen Buddhist temple as it appears reflected in its surrounding mirror pond. Kinkaku-ji was originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and its upper stories are covered in gold leaf that blazes in sunlight and glows under overcast skies. The present structure dates to 1955, rebuilt after a monk set fire to the original in 1950, an event that inspired Yukio Mishima's novel "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion." Sadanobu III, working in the Osaka tradition established by his namesake predecessors, captures the pavilion's luminous presence above the water with the saturated color and clean composition that woodblock printing handles with particular effectiveness.
More Prints by Hasegawa Sadanobu III
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tower of Kinkaku-ji Temple was created by Hasegawa Sadanobu III (長谷川貞信三世).
Tower of Kinkaku-ji Temple depicts temples & shrines and architecture.