Katsuyuki Nishijima - 吹屋の路地 (Fukiya Street)

Title: 吹屋の路地 - Fukiya Street. Ed./500.

Artist: Katsuyuki Nishijima (1945-Present).

Signed & Dated: Signed and titled in Pencil.

Medium: Woodblock Print.

Paper Size: Approx: W: 43.50cm x H: 31.50cm. (Image Size: W: 37.75cm x H: 25.75cm).

Condition: Mint. Please refer to photos / Contact for any further questions & condition report.

Notes: A lovely image by Katsuyuki Nishijima depicting one of Japan’s oldest (1977) designated Important Preservation Districts - Fukiya Furusato Village in the forested hills west of Takahashi city, Okayama prefecture.

Tied to the prosperity of its rich copper mining history through the 18th Century; the traditional Edo through Meiji merchant residences & townhouses of Fukiya are gilded with “bengara” pigment - their clay plastered walls & tiled “Sekishugawara“ roofs unified in a warm red ochre. Derived from the mined iron oxide, bengara pigment served further purpose through the production of inks & dyes; pigmentation of ceramic Imari & Kutani-ware; to being a source of rust-protection for shipwrights.

Explore Okayama: Official Okayama Tourism Guide: https://www.okayama-japan.jp/en/spot/953