Fudo Myoo

A second iteration of Fudo Myoo, indicating that Sasajima returned to the wisdom king across multiple compositions rather than treating any single image as definitive. Repeated subjects within his oeuvre were typically reworked through changes in scale, cropping, or color register rather than radical reinvention. This print probably differs from the prior version in framing or palette while retaining the diagnostic iconographic attributes — sword, rope, and flame mandorla. Sasajima's carving technique on figural subjects emphasized broad gouge strokes that read as deliberate marks rather than concealed labor, and the resulting print surface registers the physical resistance of the cherry block. Like his architectural studies of Horyu-ji and Kiyomizu-dera, his Fudo Myoo prints situate Buddhist subject matter within a [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) practice committed to direct artisan engagement: design, carving, and printing performed by the artist alone.