{"product_id":"snowfall-at-kawaradera-masao-ido-original-japanese-woodblock-print-125-150-1987","title":"“Snowfall at Kawaradera” — Masao Ido, original Japanese woodblock print, 125\/150, 1987","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eImporting Art into the United States is exempt from all U.S. tariffs but please, do check\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Snowfall at Kawaradera” — Masao Ido, original Japanese woodblock print, signed \u0026amp; numbered 125\/150, 1987, in original Kyoto frame.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA hush of falling snow settles over an ancient temple compound in this masterful woodblock print by Masao Ido (1945–2016), one of the most celebrated Kyoto printmakers of the postwar era. Rendered in Ido’s signature palette — sometimes called “Ido Green” — the composition layers snow-laden pine boughs, a bare, frost-rimed tree, and weathered tiled rooftops behind a stone and plaster temple wall, with snow-flecked reeds in the foreground grounding the eye. The falling snow is rendered with a delicate goma-zuri speckling technique, giving the paper surface an almost tactile, wintry shimmer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTitled 川原寺 (Kawaradera) in the artist’s own hand in pencil, the piece depicts Kawaradera (also known as Gufuku-ji), one of the legendary Four Great Temples of the Asuka period — Japan’s earliest capital region in present-day Nara Prefecture. Commissioned in the 7th century on the grounds of Empress Saimei’s former palace, Kawaradera was, along with Asukadera, Yakushiji, and Daikandaiji, one of the great state-sponsored temples of early Japan. Uniquely, when the imperial capital later relocated to Heijokyo, Kawaradera alone remained in place rather than being transferred — a quiet survivor of a vanished era, and a fittingly poetic subject for Ido’s meditative winter scene.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is an original hand-pulled woodblock print, hand-signed “Masao Ido” and dated in pencil by the artist, titled in Japanese characters, numbered 125\/150 in the lower margin, and stamped with his red artist’s seal — every mark confirming its status as a genuine, limited-edition work directly from the artist’s hand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout the Artist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Masao Ido was born in 1945 in Manchuria and moved with his family to Iwate Prefecture, Japan, after the war. Relocating to Kyoto as a teenager, he apprenticed under textile dyer Koho Yoshida before turning to woodblock printmaking in 1972 under master Shigechika Ohtsubo, inspired by the celebrated printmaker Kiyoshi Saito. Over a four-decade career, Ido became renowned for his atmospheric, deeply Kyoto-inflected landscapes — misty temple lanes, snow-covered eaves, and gardens rendered in his instantly recognizable, richly textured green and gray tonal range. His work has been exhibited across the United States, Europe, and Asia, and is held in institutional collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Presentation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e The print is beautifully preserved in its original Japanese frame from Gado Gallery (Kyoto), complete with the artist’s original biographical backing card. Frame dimensions: H. 44.5 x W. 57 x D. 3 cm (H. 17½ x W. 22½ x D. 1¼ in).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA serene, collectible piece of Japanese printmaking history — ideal for collectors of Kyoto landscapes, mid-century Japanese art, or anyone drawn to the quiet poetry of snow falling on centuries-old stone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColors may slightly vary due to photographic lighting sources or your monitor settings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe print will be shipped insured overseas in a custom made wooden case. \u003cbr\u003eCost of transport to the US, Euro 225, is case included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWear consistent with age and use.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe ship worldwide. Request a shipping quote by e-mail to tacojoustra@vintageobjects.com mentioning the piece you are interested in.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePick-up by appointment only.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are a 1stDibs Platinum 5 Star Dealer.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Masao Ido","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54082628288855,"sku":null,"price":1075.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0496\/5230\/1983\/files\/DSC_9465.jpg?v=1784556823","url":"https:\/\/vintageobjects.com\/products\/snowfall-at-kawaradera-masao-ido-original-japanese-woodblock-print-125-150-1987","provider":"Vintage Objects","version":"1.0","type":"link"}