Hasui 巴水: The Yama Temple, Yamagata 山寺 (Reserved)

Artist: Kawase Hasui 川瀬巴水
Title: The Yama Temple, Yamagata 山寺

Date: 1941 (this example circa early 1940s)

Rare design of a yellow moon rising over a wooden platform in the complex of Risshaku-ji temple in Yamagata prefecture. Founded in the Heian period by the priest Ennin, the temple was converted to Zen Buddhism in the mid-13th century. The current main hall was rebuilt in 1356, when it was returned to the Tendai sect. It was rebuilt again in the Sengoku period. Yama-dera is where the famous haiku poet Bashô wrote this immortal poem: “Ah this silence/ sinking into the rocks/ voice of cicada” in the late 17th century.

This is a rarely-seen design, and only the catalogue raisonné example (Hotei/Brown #452)  seems to have the prewar (”C”) Watanabe seal in the margin. This example lacks a Watanabe publisher’s seal; we have no idea why, but the early 1940s were a time of war in Japan. Even the Juda collection example at LACMA has the round, postwar seal. An interesting and obvious difference in prewar and postwar printings that is unique to this print, is that there are two very different woodgrain patterns in the sky. The woodgrain pattern in the sky in this version matches the woodgrain in the sky shown in the (prewar) Brown catalogue raisonné example, and consists of an even, vertical, parallel grain. All other examples found online seem to have the postwar round Watanabe seal, and the sky has a much different woodblock pattern with a curving grain that is strongly evident. The postwar works also seem to be printed in a lighter palette. It seems probable that the sky block was damaged during the war and had to be re-carved after the war, although the keyblock itself remained the same. An example of this work with the round, postwar Watanabe seal sold at Christies in 2022 for $3276. Note that the Balcer collection example at the VMFA has the rarely-seen Watanabe “G” seal that was in use between 1942-1945; that work also has the same woodgrain in the sky as seen in this example.

Condition: Excellent/very good impression, color and condition.
Dimensions: ôban (39.6 x 26.5 cm)
Publisher: Watanabe Shôzaburô (unsealed)
Literature: Hotei #452. See LACMA, VMFA. Seal: Kawase
Signature: Hasui 

SKU: HAS655