Color woodblock printexpand_more
Gift of P.L. Koorsexpand_more 2023.63
Tenryūji is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The temple was founded by Ashikaga Takauji, the first Ashikaga shogun, in honor of Emperor Go-Daigo. The temple is known for Sōgen Pond garden, which features a manmade pond dotted by carefully arranged stones and rocks. In the fan print, Saitō depicts the strip of green grass that runs between the water and sand, both represented in the negative. In the print, Saitō reduces the garden to abstract forms, flattening the three-dimensional garden into a two-dimensional pattern; only the rocks retain a semblance of depth.
This print belongs to a series that was commissioned by Northwest Orient Airlines. Actual fans based on the print were created and given as gifts to first class passengers.
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