Tanaka Ryohei, "Miyama Roofs, No. 2"

The traditional thatched roof (kayabuki) houses of Miyama continues to amaze visitors today. Located just north of Kyoto, Miyama still functions as an actual village with residents. Here, the village's many roofs intersect into a close-in composition with the hills in the background giving the viewer an on-the-ground perspective. A large etching with aquatint.

Date: 1984
Size: Approx. 18" x 11" (image); 22" x 14" paper
Edition: 95/100
Condition: Small tape verso, otherwise fine/excellent

Tanaka Ryohei (1933-2019) achieved worldwide recognition for his intricately detailed etchings of rural Japan. Some of his most recognized compositions show farmhouses and the thatched-roofs that dominate Japan's countryside. And the fineness in the details of the trees he incorporates into his compositions adds to the allure of his works.