About This Print
The first of eight prints in the series The Eight Views of Japan (Nihon Hakkei) published by Uchida Woodblock Printing Company sometime in the 1950s. This print, depicting Chogosonshi-ji Temple on a moonlit night, was originally published in 1941 as part of the series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places (see image below.)
Print as originally issued in 1941 as part of the series
Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places
The Series - The Eight Views of Japan
This series reused eight previously issued images from the 1941 series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places (Seichi Shiseki Meisho) and re-issued them in a portfolio of prints titled The Eight Views of Japan. It appears that the same blocks were used for both series. The information in the right margin which appeared in the 1941 issue has been removed, except for the copyright notice, and the publisher has used their "han moto u chida da" octagonal seal below the artist's signature on each print. (For information on the earlier series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places see Table of Contents from the series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places.)The table of contents pasted into the inside of the folder notes that the prints are "Selections from Prints of Places of Historic and Scenic Interest" (a.k.a. Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places) and that it contains "2 each of four seasons."
Entire Series - The Eight Views of Japan
in Nara Prefecture
in Tochigi Prefecture
in the Lake Biwa
in Mie Prefecture
in Kyushu Island
in Kanagawa Prefecture
Mount Shigisan and Chogosonshi-ji Temple
Source: website of Japan National Tourism Organization http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/nara/shigisan.html and http://jart-kansai.blogspot.com/2011/10/collection-of-chogosonshiji-temple.htmlMt. Shigi-san, 437 meters in elevation, is located at thesouthern end of the Ikoma Mountains lying in the northwest of Nara Prefecture.In the middle of the mountains is Chogosonshi-ji Temple, usually referred to as"Shigisan" or "Shigi-no-bishamon-san."
The temple has been worshipped and loved by many ordinary people as receiving good luck or protection from its principal deity, Vaisravana (Bishamonten in Japanese). It is also well-known for owning one of the most important illustrated handscrolls in Japanese art history, Shigisan Engi Emaki (Illustrated Handscroll "Legend of Mount Shigi").It is said that the scroll was completed in the middle of 12th century by an unknown artist. It depicts miracles which were attributed to the Shingon monk Myoren, who resided on Mount Shigi in the latter part of the 9th century.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #936 |
| Title | Cherry Blossoms at Mount Shigi 大和信貴山 in Nara Prefecture |
| Series | The Eight Views of Japan 日本八景 Nippon hakkei |
| Artist | Tokuriki Tomikichirō (1902-2000) |
| Signature | Tomikichirō saku |
| Seal | no artist's seal |
| Date | c. 1950s |
| Edition | originally published 1941 as part of the series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places |
| Publisher |  |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | excellent - tipped to original backing as issued |
| Genre | shin hanga (new print); fūkeiga |
| Miscellaneous | #1 in the series; copyright notice is in lower right margin of print |
| Format | horizontal oban |
| H x W Paper | 11 1/4 x 16 1/2 in. (28.6 x 41.9 cm) |
| H x W Image | 10 3/8 x 15 (26.4 x 38.1 cm) |
| Collections This Print | |
| Reference Literature | |
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