Kiyomizudera Temple

Medium:: Woodblock print
Source:: Honolulu Museum of Art

Typical Price

Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.

Common examples: $100–$500
Good impressions: $500–$2,000
Premium/scarce: $2,000–$10,000

Description

A woodblock print of Kiyomizu-dera, one of the most celebrated temples in Kyoto and a site that has inspired Japanese artists for centuries. The temple is famous for its massive wooden stage that juts out from the hillside on tall pillars, offering sweeping views over the city and the surrounding Higashiyama hills. Nakazawa joins a long lineage of artists who have depicted this iconic structure, from Edo-period ukiyo-e masters to his shin-hanga contemporaries. The subject presented both architectural and landscape challenges: the dramatic cantilevered platform, the forested hillside, and the distant cityscape below. Cherry and maple trees surrounding the temple provide seasonal color that the woodblock palette could render with particular richness.