The Golden Temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.  In accordance with will, it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408.  The top two floors are covered in gold leaf.  An impressive structure, it overlooks a large pond.  It is the only building left of Yoshimitsu’s former retirement complex. It burned down twice during the Onin civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto; and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk and rebuilt in 1955.

From a Pennsylvania collection.  Minor wear and toning. Lightly hinged to the mat. Metallic paint makes the pavilion stand out.  Uchida seal on the lower right corner of image.  Embossed “Nisaburo Itoh” seal on the bottom margin.