Japanese Woodblock Print, 1950s, published by Unsodo

SIZE IN INCHES: koban,7 x 5 inches

COMMENTS: Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Monastery") is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage site.

The popular expression "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" is the Japanese translation of the English expression "to take the plunge". This refers to an Edo-period tradition that held that if one were to survive a 43-foot jump from the stage, one's wish would be granted. During the Edo period, 234 jumps were recorded, and of those, 85.4% survived. The practice was prohibited in 1872.

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