Pine 13

"Pine 13" is among the higher-numbered impressions in Manami Ito's continuing Pine series, suggesting a mature point in her sustained study of the motif. The image likely concentrates on the architectural geometry of a pine — the angular reach of trained branches, the gnarled trunk, the dense pads of needles — rendered through layered drypoint lines incised directly into a copper plate. The technique produces a soft, slightly fuzzy black where the metal burr holds ink, contrasting with the cleaner lines where the burr has been intentionally scraped away. Hatching of varying density allows Ito to distinguish foreground bark, recessed shadow, and the diffuse mass of needle clusters without recourse to additional plates or color. Within her body of work, each numbered Pine iterates on the same subject the way a calligrapher returns to a single character, refining structure and tonal range across the run.