Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto
by Kamei Tobei
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
This 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.
More Prints by Kamei Tobei
More Temples & Shrines Prints
Fushimi Inari Temple
伏見稲荷
Woodblock print
The Compound of the Tenman Shrine at Kameido in the Snow (Kameido Tenmangu keidai no yuki), from the series "Famous Places in the Eastern Capital (Toto meisho)"
c. 1832/38
Color woodblock print; oban
Temple with lanterns
Woodblock print
A Section of the Byodo Temple at Uji (Uji Byodoin no ichibu), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Second Series (Tabi miyage dai nishu)"
Uji Byodoin no ichibu
1921
Color woodblock print; oban
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto was created by Kamei Tobei (亀井東平).
Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto depicts temples & shrines, set at Kyoto.