Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.
This woodblock print depicts Yoshii Tenjin Gorge, a scenic location in Okayama Prefecture where the Takahashi River has carved a narrow passage through limestone and granite cliffs. The Japanese characters in the title precisely identify the site, placing the print within the meisho tradition of famous-view depictions. Miyamoto Shufu renders the gorge with attention to the dramatic vertical scale of the cliffs and the river's passage between them. Tenjin Gorge is known for its towering rock faces, dense vegetation, and the deep green of its slow-moving water, elements that align naturally with Shufu's atmospheric landscape style. The gorge's enclosed geometry concentrates the composition, with the cliffs rising on either side to frame a narrow strip of sky above. Shufu's treatment of this specific location balances topographic accuracy with the atmospheric softness that characterizes his broader body of work.
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.
Yoshii Tenjin Gorge — 芳井天神峡 was created by Miyamoto Shufu (宮本秋風).
Yoshii Tenjin Gorge — 芳井天神峡 depicts landscapes and mountains.
