Title: 洛北・正伝寺 (Shodenji Temple in Northern Kyoto). Ed.154/180.

Artist: Masao Ido (1945-2016).

Signed & Dated: Signed, titled, & editioned in pencil to plate. Published 1991.

Medium: Woodblock Print.

Paper Size: Approx H: 33.75cm X W: 44.50cm. (Image H: 26.00cm X W: 38.25cm).

Condition: Good condition - image face unblemished, paper clean, crisp, & intact. Minor surface handling to margin. Please refer to photos / Contact for any further questions & condition report.

Notes: Masao Ido captures the serene dry landscape garden (枯山水, "karesansui") of Shodenji Temple (正伝寺) in Northern Kyoto, where meticulously raked gravel flows around moss-covered azalea bushes (つつじ), evoking distant hills. Founded in 1282, Shodenji is a quiet Zen retreat, and its garden, which traditionally offers views of Mt. Hiei (比叡山), embodies the principles of wabi-sabi (侘寂) — a celebration of simplicity and imperfection. Though peaceful today, the temple holds a somber history within its floorboards, which were salvaged from the ruins of Fushimi Castle after the bloody Siege of 1600. These “blood-stained” planks (血天井, "chi tenjō") bear the marks of fallen samurai, offering a silent reminder of life's impermanence, a key teaching in Zen philosophy.

Shodenji Temple Website: https://shodenji-kyoto.jp/