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Cave Temple in Ajanta by Hiroshi Yoshida

Cave Temple in Ajanta by Hiroshi Yoshida

Cave Temple in Ajanta

Hiroshi Yoshida

Title

Cave Temple in Ajanta

 
Artist

Hiroshi Yoshida

  1876 - 1950 (biography)
Year
1931 (Showa 6) 
Technique
color woodcut 
Image Size
9 3/4 x 14 7/8" image 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
100 in the first edition 
Annotations
pencil titled lower left; Yoshida's Ji-zuri stamp in upper left margin 
Reference
Yoshida 163, illustrated on page 124; Sanseido 155; Toledo 256 
Paper
ivory wove Japanese mulberry 
State
published 
Publisher
artist 
Inventory ID
CAAL187 
Price
SOLD
Description

According to the Sanseido catalogue of 1939 "Cave Temple in Ajanta" (#155) is from the series of woodcuts known as the India and Southeast Asia series. Yoshida used 14 blocks and a total of 38 impressions to achieve this image. The blocks for this image were cut by Maeda. According to the Toledo catalogue the initial edition was 100.

The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of the 29 Cave Temples at Ajanta are considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence. The facade of this cave (No 1) is famous for its superb 6th century frescoes.