Hanga
Title unknown [Mountain] by Kihei Sasajima — Japanese Woodblock print, ink on paper, 1947

Title unknown [Mountain]

by Kihei Sasajima

Sōsaku-hanga
LandscapesMountains
Date:
1947
Medium:
Woodblock print, ink on paper
Dimensions:
38.5 × 50 cm
Edition:
Self-printed

Description

This 1947 ink-on-paper woodblock print presents a mountain subject, rendered with the stark black-and-white contrasts of Sasajima's early postwar period. The mountain stands as a monumental form, its mass dominating the composition in a way that recalls both Chinese shan-shui (mountain-water) painting and the reverence for mountain landscapes embedded in Japanese Shinto and Buddhist traditions. Sasajima carves the mountain's surface with varied line work that suggests geological texture, from the smooth planes of exposed rock to the rougher surfaces of forested slopes. The 1947 date places this among Sasajima's earliest mature prints, when he was establishing the vocabulary of nature imagery that would sustain his practice for the next four decades.

More Prints by Kihei Sasajima

Trees in the Wind by Kihei Sasajima

Trees in the Wind

1960

Woodblock print; edition 23/50

Village, Shôwa period, dated 1959 by Kihei Sasajima

Village, Shôwa period, dated 1959

Woodblock print

Mountain Stream, Shôwa period, dated 1956 by Kihei Sasajima

Mountain Stream, Shôwa period, dated 1956

Woodblock print

Two Trees in the Wind No. 3, Shôwa period, dated 1962 by Kihei Sasajima

Two Trees in the Wind No. 3, Shôwa period, dated 1962

Woodblock print

More Landscapes Prints

Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)" by Kawase Hasui

Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"

Wakasa Kugushiko

1920

Color woodblock print; oban

Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei) by Insho Domoto

Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)

Woodblock print

The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)" by Kawase Hasui

The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"

1934

Color woodblock print; oban

Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami) by Utagawa Hiroshige

Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)

n.d.

Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet

Featured in Collections

Curated cross-cuts that include this print.

Mount Fuji in Japanese Woodblock PrintsSōsaku-Hanga: The Creative-Print MovementMeisho-e: Famous-Place Prints

Frequently Asked Questions

Title unknown [Mountain] was created by Kihei Sasajima (笹島喜平) in 1947.

Title unknown [Mountain] depicts landscapes and mountains.

Title unknown [Mountain] measures 38.5 × 50 cm.