Stone lanterns From the series

This print, drawn from a larger series, focuses on stone lanterns (ishidoro), the carved granite fixtures that line approaches to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and that punctuate the landscape gardens of Japan. The subject lends itself to studies of texture and shadow: the rough surface of weathered stone, the moss accumulating in crevices, and the deep recesses of the lantern's fire chamber would all be opportunities for tonal modulation through bokashi. Lanterns in such compositions are often grouped along a path or set among trees and ferns, anchoring a meditative, atmospheric scene rather than a populated one. As part of his sustained landscape practice, Gekko produced several series exploring discrete elements of the Japanese garden and shrine precinct. The unrecorded series title here suggests this image belonged to a thematic set isolating individual features of the cultivated landscape, a structuring approach common to Meiji-era print publishing aimed at collectors who acquired complete sets.