Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto
by Kamei Tobei
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
by Kamei Tobei
$200–$1,500. Temple scenes are among the most popular subjects for this artist. Good prints: $500–$1,000. Key value factors: Kamei Tobei's prints are modestly priced and accessible to collectors of shin-hanga landscapes.
This [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print depicts Ginkaku-ji Temple (the Silver Pavilion), the Zen temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district built in 1482 by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a retirement villa. The temple grounds, including the famous Sea of Silver Sand cone and the carefully maintained moss garden, represent the refined aesthetic of Higashiyama culture that prized restraint over opulence. Kamei's rendering of Ginkaku-ji brings the landscape artist's attention to the interplay between the modest wooden pavilion and its elaborately designed surroundings. Unlike the gold-covered Kinkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion's beauty lies in its weathered wooden surfaces and the subtle tonal harmonies of its garden setting. The woodblock medium captures the muted color palette of unpainted wood, moss, sand, and stone that gives Ginkaku-ji its contemplative atmosphere.
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.
Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto was created by Kamei Tobei (亀井東平).
Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto depicts temples & shrines, set at Kyoto.
