Tenjin Shrine at Yushima

Medium:: Woodblock print
Format:: Oban
Publisher:: Watanabe Shozaburo
Edition:

Published by Watanabe Shozaburo

Source:

Typical Price

Shotei produced a wide range of subjects throughout his career under publishers Watanabe and Daikokuya. Signed, sealed lifetime editions consistently outperform unsigned export-market copies.

Export editions or later printings: $100–$500
Signed lifetime editions: $500–$2,500
Premium impressions with provenance: $2,500–$8,000

Description

Yushima Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo — one of the city's great plum blossom destinations and a shrine to the deity of scholarship — appears here in Shotei's treatment with the uphill approach through torii gates and stone steps that gave the shrine its particular urban character. Situated on a hill in Bunkyo Ward, the shrine's elevated position above the city provided views over the surrounding neighborhood from its garden, and its association with students seeking examination success gave it a living religious relevance. The [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) sky above the shrine creates characteristic atmospheric depth.