皇居十景： “御池庭 日本菖蒲” (御池庭 花菖蒲) - 木版画 - Masao Ido 井堂雅夫 (1945-2016) - 日本 - 平成时代（1989-2019）

Ido Masao(井堂雅夫)
Heisei Ukiyo-e – Kyoto One Hundred Views, Vol. 10
Imperial Palace Ten Views: “Oike Garden, Japanese Irises”(御池庭 花菖蒲)
Woodblock print / Publisher: Kaneido

Among the many celebrated landscapes of Kyoto, few places embody the elegance of Japan’s imperial culture as profoundly as the gardens of the Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho). In this refined work from Masao Ido’s Kyoto Hyakkei series, the artist presents a tranquil view of the Oike Garden, where delicate hanashōbu (Japanese irises) bloom along the water’s edge beneath the gentle light of early summer.

For more than a thousand years, Kyoto served as the capital of Japan and the center of courtly life. Within the walls of the Imperial Palace, gardens were not merely decorative spaces; they were carefully designed settings for poetry gatherings, seasonal celebrations, and quiet contemplation. The changing appearance of these gardens through the four seasons became a reflection of the refined sensibilities that shaped classical Japanese aesthetics.

The scene depicted here captures one of those fleeting moments that Kyoto residents treasure deeply.

The eye is naturally drawn toward the foreground, where clusters of purple irises rise gracefully from the water's edge. Their slender leaves and elegant petals introduce a rhythm that contrasts beautifully with the stillness of the pond beyond. Across the calm surface of the water, a simple wooden bridge connects the carefully manicured islands of the garden, while dense pines and evergreen trees create a backdrop of dignified serenity.

Unlike the dramatic vermilion of autumn maples or the celebrated spectacle of cherry blossoms, the beauty of the iris is subtle and introspective. Blooming during the rainy season of early summer, Japanese irises have long symbolized purity, hope, and resilience. Their appearance marks a quieter chapter in Kyoto's annual cycle of seasons—one appreciated not through grandeur, but through attentiveness.

As part of the highly regarded Kyoto Hyakkei series, “Oike Garden – Japanese Irises” offers collectors an opportunity to acquire more than a picturesque landscape. It is an invitation into the private world of Kyoto's imperial heritage, where the changing seasons have shaped artistic expression for centuries.

◆About Ido Masao(井堂雅夫)◆
Masao Ido is a leading contemporary woodblock artist based in Kyoto, and produced numerous woodblock prints from the Showa and Heisei eras. During Japan's postwar reconstruction period, he established his own unique style that combined a modern sense of composition and beautiful colors while inheriting the techniques of traditional ukiyo-e woodblock printing.

After spending his childhood in Hiroshima, he moved to Kyoto and studied under woodblock artist Inao Uchida. Since the 1970s, he has established his own studio, the Kyoto Hanga-in, and has received high acclaim at solo exhibitions and exhibitions both in Japan and abroad.

Awards and exhibitions (partial excerpt)
1976: First selected for the Nitten Exhibition
1980: Received the Nitten Special Award (unusual for a woodblock artist)
1987: Exhibited at the Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Exhibition
1990 and after: Solo exhibitions in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, etc.
Received the Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Merit Award (posthumous award)
His works are still held in many museums and public facilities in Japan, as well as in the collections of Japanese art lovers overseas.

[Size of the artwork]

Overall size
34.7×42.3cm
Picture
24.5×34.9cm


[Condition]
Excellent condition.

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