White Wall

Artist Yoshida, Toshi (Japanese, 1911–1995)

Date1964

Mediumwoodblock print, ink and color on paper

Dimensionsaiban

ClassificationsPrints

Markingsseal: Yoshida

Credit LineGift from the Judith and Paul A. Falcigno Collection

Terms

Object number2010.99

Label TextThe print depicts a wall in the garden of the temple Saiho-ji in Kyoto, commonly known as Koke-dera (“Moss Temple”). Built on the site of an ancient temple, Saiho-ji was restored and converted into a Rinzai Zen temple in 1339 by the monk Muso Soseki. Muso Soseki’s original garden was a typical Zen dry garden ("karesansui"). The moss, for which the temple is now famous, grew naturally in the 18th or 19th century as a result of floods, neglect and insufficient upkeep. The garden now includes over 120 different kinds of mosses, creating a carpet of many shades of green. Located in a grove, the moss garden is arranged as a circular promenade centered around Golden Pond, a pond shaped like the Chinese character for “heart” or “mind” ("kokoro," ?).ProvenancePaul A. Falcigno and Judy Mansfield, Hamden, CT

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