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.
The Sacred Bridge (Shinkyo) at Nikko curves in brilliant vermillion over the Daiya River, its lacquered wood structure set against the dense forest of towering cedar trees that surrounds the mountain shrine complex in this print by Yuhan Ito. The bridge — one of the most photographed landmarks in Japan — derives its power from the vivid contrast of red lacquer against green forest and grey stone, a tension Ito exploits with careful color placement. The composition frames the bridge as threshold between the mundane world and the sacred precinct beyond.
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.
Sacred Bridge, Nikko was created by Yuhan Ito (伊藤雄半).
Sacred Bridge, Nikko depicts landscapes and bridges, set at Nikko.
