Monograph Shosoin by Mikiya Takimoto

We handled the binding and design of photographer Mikiya Takimoto’s monograph featuring the Shosoin treasure house of Todaiji Temple in Nara photographed in monochrome, made with special permission.

In this work, Takimoto took the bold approach of photographing Shosoin at night, as it appears in the dark, with light hitting it from the direction of the moon as it rises. The layout is wide and intricate, making frequent use of kannon-biraki foldouts to both left and right to display groups of photos capturing the entirety of the Azekura-style architecture and other aspects of the Shosoin, such as its many columns and cornerstones.

We used monochrome triple-tone printing, achieving detailed reproduction of the photos with rich shading. We also employed printed cloth in the binding, and applied an embossed pattern based on one of the treasures held in the Shosoin.