Shiba Benten Pond

This impression of the Shiba Benten Pond composition represents one of several recorded states or editions of Hasui's view of the small ornamental pond in Shiba Park. Shin-hanga prints were frequently reprinted across multiple editions by the Watanabe publishing house, with later impressions sometimes exhibiting softer color differentials or slightly altered bokashi gradations as the woodblocks accumulated wear. The Benten Pond subject—still water, enclosing pines, and the distant profile of Zojo-ji's gate—proved commercially durable, accounting for the number of documented variants. In this type of composition, the key block establishes the reflections on the water surface with fine linework, while color blocks layer translucent washi-absorbed pigments to build the characteristic cool greens and blues of a sheltered pond in subdued light.