“Snow at Rakushisha” (Yuki no Rakushisha) — rare Artist’s Proof woodblock print by Masao Ido, 1986

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“Snow at Rakushisha” (Yuki no Rakushisha) — rare Artist’s Proof woodblock print by Masao Ido, 1986

A hauntingly beautiful winter view of Rakushisha, the storied 17th-century thatched hermitage in Saga-Arashiyama, Kyoto — home to Mukai Kyorai, chief disciple of the great haiku master Matsuo Bashō, who stayed here three times and wrote his celebrated “Saga Diary” within these walls. Snow blankets the garden and stone-walled approach, with the last red persimmons still clinging to the frost-laden branches — a quietly poetic detail that echoes the hut’s own name, which means “Hut of the Fallen Persimmons.”

This is a scarce Artist’s Proof (AP), pencil-signed by the artist in the lower margin, with his red seal and the print’s Japanese title, 雪の落柿舎 (“Snow at Rakushisha”), hand-inscribed at left. Unlike the later numbered editions, artist’s proofs were pulled outside the standard run and rarely reach the market, making this an especially desirable example for serious collectors of contemporary Japanese moku hanga.

Masao Ido (1945–2016) was one of the leading Japanese woodblock printmakers of the late 20th century, celebrated for reviving traditional multi-block, multi-pass printing techniques in the service of intensely nostalgic, atmospheric views of Kyoto — its temples, gardens, and preserved streetscapes. Born in Japanese-occupied Manchuria, he returned with his family to Kyoto after the war, trained first as a textile dyer under Yoshida Kōhō, and later turned to woodblock printmaking under Ōtsubo Shigechika. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums, and he is often discussed as a spiritual heir to the shin hanga tradition for his idealized, deeply felt vision of old Japan.

The sheet shows minor foxing to the wide margins, entirely typical of works on handmade Japanese paper of this age and not visible within the printed image itself — the composition remains crisp, richly pigmented, and untouched by fading.

Dimensions: H. 28 x W. 49 cm (H. 11 x W. 19.3 in) Medium: Multi-block color woodcut on Japanese paper (washi) Edition: Artist’s Proof (AP), hand-signed and sealed Artist: Masao Ido (1945–2016), Kyoto Date: 1986 Condition: Excellent; minor foxing to margins only, not affecting the image

Colors may slightly vary due to photographic lighting sources or your monitor settings.

The print will be shipped insured overseas. Cost of transport to the US is Euro 145.

Wear consistent with age and use.

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