Structural Interior of Tengaimon Gate

The interior structural framework of the Tengaimon gate — the intricate system of bracketing, beams, and joinery that supports a Japanese ceremonial gateway from within — is here rendered as the sole subject of Hiratsuka's woodblock. The structural interior, normally invisible from the outside, is exposed as an object of beauty: the carpenter's problem-solving made visible. The 1960 print is among his most unusual architectural studies.