Japanese Woodblock Print, 1953, 1st Edition, published by Unsodo

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 10.5 x 15.75 inches

COMMENTS: The Kurama Temple, founded in 770 as the guardian of the northern quarter of the capital city (Heiankyo). Is located halfway up the mountain. The original buildings, however, were repeatedly destroyed by fire. The Main Hall was last rebuilt in 1971. The temple formerly belonged to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, but since 1949, it has been included in the newly founded Kurama-Kokyo sect as its headquarters.

TAKEJI ASANO (1900-1999) was born in Kyoto. In 1919 he graduated from the Kyoto City School of Fine Arts and Crafts and then from the Kyoto City Specialist School of Painting in 1923. Among his Early Teachers was the artist and printmaker Tsuchida Bakusen. Asano helped to organize the Kyoto Creative Print Society (Kyoto Sosaku-Hanga Kyoka) in 1929.

In 1930, Asano along with other members of the Creative Print Society contributed several designs to a series of prints titled Creative Prints of Twelve Months in New Kyoto (Sosaku-hanga shin Kyoto junikagetsu), which were published by Uchida. He expanded his skills in print design as well as learning the skills of carving and printing which enabled him to create some self-carved and self-printed series of landscape prints. Many of his best prints were published by Unsodo.

VG, minor flaws as shown