Snow and night scenes traditionally command higher prices. Key value factors: Edition order (first Watanabe/Doi printing vs. posthumous reprints) is crucial. Snow scenes, night views, and bijin-ga typically command premiums. Publisher seals and artist signatures authenticate first editions.
This woodblock print presents Chikubu Island, a sacred site in Lake Biwa, under the glow of moonlight. The island, home to the ancient Hogon-ji temple, rises from the lake's dark surface as a solitary silhouette against the luminous night sky. Nishiyama renders the interplay of reflected moonlight on water with careful gradation, using the [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) technique to transition from the bright disc of the moon through progressively deeper tones. The choice of a nocturnal setting transforms a well-known Shiga Prefecture landmark into something more private and contemplative, stripping away the daytime bustle of pilgrims and tourists to reveal the island as a still presence surrounded by expansive water. The composition balances the small mass of the island against the vast emptiness of lake and sky.
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Chikibu Island in Moonlight was created by Nishiyama Hideo (西山英雄).
Chikibu Island in Moonlight depicts landscapes, moonlight, and night scenes.
