北野天満宮は学問の神とされる菅原道真を祭神として祀る全国12000社の総本社として知られています。境内には道真が愛したという1500本の梅の木が植えられ,毎月25日に開かれる縁日の中でも道真の命日である2月25日の梅花祭は特別で、300もの露天が開かれ大変賑わいます。
2002年の北野天満宮で50年ぶりに催された菅原道真没後1100年大萬燈祭では、井堂雅夫が重要文化財の三光門を木版画制作する依頼を受け作品を奉納し、その作品は天満宮様からご縁が深い方々に記念品として配られました。井堂雅夫が親しく通った上七軒のお茶屋さんや近くの割烹などでは自身の作品を目の前にお酒を楽しむという作家冥利に尽きる幸福をいただき、天満宮は井堂雅夫にとって特別な存在でした。
井堂雅夫にはいくつかの散歩コースがあり、アトリエから東へ向かうコースを「てんじんさん」と呼んでいました。時には散歩の途中で見つけた紅葉した葉っぱや面白い模様の石ころなどを手にして戻り、少し嬉しそうにそれを見せてからアトリエの作業机の上に置く様子を見ていると「絵描き」という言葉が似合う人だと思いました。
この作品のモチーフとなっている紅殻の塀と天満宮のシンボルである梅の印が入った提灯が続く参道は井堂雅夫が何度も歩いたお気に入りの風景でした。
Blog post February 2021
"Kitano in Spring"
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is known as the head shrine of 12,000 shrines
enshrining Sugawara no Michizane, who is considered the “god of learning” all
over Japan. Inside the shrine grounds, there are 1,500 plum trees planted, which
are said to be Michizane’s favorites, and among the feast days on the 25th
of each month, the plum tree festival on February 25th, the
anniversary day of Michizane, is the most important day, and the shrine comes
alive with crowds and over 300 street stalls.
On the Daimanto (Ten Thousand Lanterns) Festival of Kitano Tenmangu
Shrine celebrated after 50 years in 2002, which coincides with 1100 years after
the death of Sugawara no Michizane, Masao Ido dedicated his works of art after
receiving a request to make woodblock prints of Important Cultural Property Sanko-mon
Gate and later they were given to people who are deeply connected to the Shrine
as souvenirs. Tenmangu to Masao Ido is a special place where he would enjoy
drinking in Ochaya (Geisha tea house) he used to visit often at Kamishichiken
or nearby Kappou restaurants while gazing at his own art, which is indeed an
abundant blessing for a craftsman.
Masao Ido has several walking routes, and he used to call the route
from his atelier heading east as Tenjinsan. Sometimes he would take back a leaf
that has turned red or small rocks with unique pattern he found on the way,
showed it to us with delight and then kept staring it after placing in on his
work bench in his studio. To us, ‘artist’ is the word that describes him the
best.
The entrance path to the Tenmangu Shrine with oxide red fences and
lanterns with plums, the symbol of the shrine, made as the motif of this work
of art, is Masao Ido’s favorite scenery in which he walked in for so many
times.