Japanese Artist, Ishi-Jizō, 1980s, Woodblock Print, Framed

Atmospheric Japanese woodblock print in black and white on thin washi paper, featuring a stylised Jizō figure at the centre.

Dimensions: height 43.5 cm, width 55 cm, depth 2 cm.

In Japan, Jizō Bosatsu is a beloved protective deity of children, travellers and souls in difficulty. This work shows him as “Ishi-Jizō” – the stone Jizō often found along paths and in the fields.

Around the figure runs a short poetic text in powerful calligraphy.

On the right it reads 石地蔵, Ishi-Jizō (“stone Jizō”). On the left you can read a poem:
“Even if you wish to laugh,
even if you wish to cry,
his face remains of stone –
the Buddha of the field.”

These words refer to the quiet, unshakable presence of Jizō: a comforting witness who remains where he stands, no matter what people go through. At the lower left is a red seal and the artist’s signature.

The print is carefully framed with a wide cream-coloured passe-partout and a clear wooden frame that allows the graphic image to breathe without distracting from it.

On the reverse there is a label with the title “Ishi-Jizō” and a hanging cord, so the work is ready to hang – ideal in a reading nook, meditation space or as a subtle Japanese accent in a modern interior.

The woodblock print and frame are in very good condition, with only minimal, non-distracting signs of age.