Japanese Woodblock Print, originally printed 1934, this later edition published by Doi Eiichi

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 10.75 x 16 inches

THE NEZU SHRINE is said to have been established by the legendary priest "Yamato Takeru no Mikoto". In 1705, the 5th Shogun built the structures that can be seen today. The 6th Shogun, Ienobu, subsequently offered three "mikoshi" (portable shrines) to the shrine and created the "Tenka Matsuri" (reign festival). The festival s stll held on the 21st of September. Because it is one of the oldest original construction remaining in Tokyo, the main hall, two gates and the wall of Nezu Jinja has been designated as cultural landmarks. The Main hall was designed in red lacquer called "Gongenzukuri". The Gate is clearly influenced by the Buddhist style. The shrine's grounds are known for its plum-blossoms in February and especially for its azaleas and wisteria gardens which bloom from late April into May. But here in Koitsu's print it is shown on a snowy winter night.

TSUCHIYA KOITSU'S (1870-1949) prints immortalize Japan's scenic beauty. Through subtle effects of light and shadow, Koitsu endows his art with an aura of bewitching beauty. Born in 1870 outside of Hamamatsu, he was given the name Koichi. At the age of 15, he moved to Tokyo to study Japanese wood block printing under Matsuzaki, a carver for the ukiyo-e master Kobayashi Kiyochika. However, he soon left Matsuzaki and became a student Kiyochika himself. For 19 years, Koitsu lived in Kiyochika’s home, studying the art of woodblock printing. His first prints (1894-95) were war scenes of the Sino-Japanese war and he later worked as a lithographer. In 1931, a chance meeting with the publisher Watanabe changed the course of his career. From that time on, Koitsu specialized in landscape prints in the shin hanga style.

Fine, no flaws