Old Pagoda, Shôwa period, dated 1960

Dated 1960 in the Showa period, this woodblock print depicts an aged pagoda, its weathered form testifying to centuries of exposure to the elements. Pagodas, as architectural embodiments of Buddhist cosmology, held particular significance for Sasajima, whose art consistently engaged with Buddhist themes. The "old" in the title emphasizes the structure's age and the passage of time, qualities that align with the Buddhist understanding of impermanence even as the pagoda itself persists. Sasajima's woodblock rendering likely emphasizes the texture of aged wood and tile, using the grain of the printing block to echo the grain of the ancient timbers. The single structure, isolated by the composition, becomes a portrait of endurance, standing against sky and weather as it has for generations.