'Kinkakuji Temple', from the series Famous Places in Kyoto, #10
This woodblock print depicts the vista of Kinkakuji's golden temple. The ethereal "Golden Pavilion" (Kinkaku-ji) was built at the orders of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397, as part of a ten-year project to convert a site in the northern hills of Kyoto, previously owned by the Saionji family, into a complex of villas. The three-story pavilion was covered in gold leaf and the pond at the foot of Mt. Kinugasa enlarged and landscaped with exotically-shaped rocks. By the terms of Yoshimitsu's will, Kinkaku-ji subsequently became (and has remained) a Zen Buddhist temple. It is a classic ukiyo-e scene, and a popular series by Hiroshige, whose body of work was prolific in landscape scenes.  It was originally published in 1834 and bears its original seals, and the seal of the 1930 publisher in the lower left margin. This is a later edition, likely c1930.  This print measures 10" x 14.75", and it is handsomely framed in its original Japanese bamboo frame, with veneer backing measuring 14" x 18.75".  It lays on a light ochre mat and it is in fine condition with minimal toning.       P8764   $145.00