102-714: The Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki ( 北野天神縁起絵巻 , "Scroll on the foundation of the Kitano temple and the life of Sugawara no Michizane", "Illuminated scroll on the history of the god of Kitano", or more simply "Legends of Kitano Tenjin Shrine") is an emakimono or emaki (painted narrative handscroll) from the beginning of the 13th century, in the Kamakura period of Japanese history (1185–1333). An illuminated manuscript , it narrates in eight calligraphed and painted scrolls
204-477: A decorative appearance. The format of the emakimono , long scrolls of limited height, requires the solving of all kinds of composition problems: it is first necessary to make the transitions between the different scenes that accompany the story, to choose a point of view that reflects the narration, and to create a rhythm that best expresses the feelings and emotions of the moment. In general, there are thus two main categories of emakimono : those which alternate
306-695: A doctrine, or even as an act of faith, because copying illustrated sutras must allow communion with the deities (a theory even accredits the idea that the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki would have aimed to pacify evil spirits). Proselytising, favoured by the emergence of the Pure Land Buddhist sects during the Kamakura era, changed the methods of emakimono production, because works of proselytism were intended to be copied and disseminated widely in many associated temples, explaining
408-403: A key episode of the novel and is followed by a calligraphic extract on paper richly decorated with gold and silver powder. The Genji Monogatari Emaki already presents the composition techniques specific to the art of emakimono : an oblique point of view, the movement of the eyes guided by long diagonals from the top right to the bottom left, and even the removal of the roofs to represent
510-573: A monk, remains remarkable for its influences, so far rare, from the Song dynasty (via the wash technique ) and the Tang dynasty (the shan shui style), as well as by its very precise representations of forts in many Japanese landscapes. As for the Saigyō Monogatari Emaki [ fr ] , it addresses the declining aristocracy in idealising the figure of the monk aesthete Saigyō by
612-401: A passage recounted in the third part of the work; he is worshipped there under the name of Tenjin , a protective god of arts and letters. Finally, the last part relates various miracles related to the temple. The narrative and context of the time suggest that the original work was created for spiritual purposes. The Tendai Buddhist school is particularly highlighted in it, so much so that
714-625: A peak of Japanese civilization via the culture of the emperor's court, although intrigue and disinterest in things of the state resulted in the Genpei War . This perception arises from the aesthetics and the codified and refined art of living that developed at the Heian court, as well as a certain restraint and melancholy born from the feeling of the impermanence of things (a state of mind referred to as mono no aware in Japanese). Furthermore,
816-638: A school he founded in honour of his father Fujiwara no Takanobu ). Among the temple workshops, it is known that the Kōzan-ji workshop was particularly prolific, under the leadership of the monk Myōe , a great scholar who brought in many works from Song dynasty China. Thus, the Jōnin brushstrokes on the Kegon Engi Emaki or the portrait of Myōe reveal the first Song influences in Japanese painting. However,
918-497: A story or a succession of anecdotes (such as literary chronicles or Buddhist parables), combining pictorial and narrative elements, the combination of which characterises the dominant art movements in Japan between the 12th and 14th centuries. An emakimono is read, according to the traditional method, sitting on a mat with the scroll placed on a low table or on the floor. The reader then unwinds with one hand while rewinding it with
1020-692: A study of the work by the Kanagawa University . Over thirty later versions of the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki can be identified, created especially during the 14th and 15th centuries, both by amateurs and by famous painters such as Tosa Mitsunobu , because of the growing popularity of the cult of Tenjin. Among the best known of the later versions of the work are the Kōan version (1278) by Tosa Yukimitsu , whose light-coloured style would influence several later scrolls, as well as
1122-586: A temple, and the religious scrolls do not refrain from representing popular things. So, for example, the Hōnen Shōnin Eden [ fr ] presents a rich overview of medieval civilization. Colophons and comparative studies sometimes allow for the deduction of the name of the artist of an emakimono : for example, the monk En'i [ fr ] signed the Ippen Shōnin Eden , historians designate Tokiwa Mitsunaga [ fr ] as
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#17327811655221224-406: Is an illustrated horizontal narration system of painted handscrolls that dates back to Nara-period (710–794 CE) Japan . Initially copying their much older Chinese counterparts in style, during the succeeding Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura periods (1185–1333), Japanese emakimono developed their own distinct style. The term therefore refers only to Japanese painted narrative scrolls. As in
1326-457: Is characterised by bright colors and freedom of lines; sometimes even the outlines are omitted, using the technique of boneless painting ( mokkotsu ). The composition also plays on the differences of scale, as in the often depicted scene of the prayer of Michizane atop a mountain: he is shown is overly large to represent his strength of character, despite a humble posture that makes him an "allegorical figure of man". Realistic art characteristic of
1428-503: Is commonly referred to as the Jōkyū (or Shōkyū ) version, 1219 having been the first year of the Jōkyū era . The majority of studies of the work focus on the Jōkyū version, which is recognised as a National Treasure of Japan . The narrative of the Jōkyū version is divided into four unequal parts. The first part relates the life of Michizane , a scholar and statesman who was influential in
1530-407: Is kept closed by a cord and stored alone or with other rolls in a box intended for this purpose, and which is sometimes decorated with elaborate patterns. An emakimono can consist of several successive scrolls as required of the story – the Hōnen Shōnin Eden [ fr ] was made up of 48 scrolls, although the standard number typically falls between one and three. An emakimono
1632-466: Is made up of two elements: the sections of calligraphic text known as kotoba-gaki , and the sections of paintings referred to as e ; their size, arrangement and number vary greatly, depending on the period and the artist. In emakimono inspired by literature, the text occupies no less than two-thirds of the space, while other more popular works, such as the Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga , favour
1734-613: Is that of the Yamato Monogatari , offered to the Empress between 872 and 907. However, the stylistic mastery of later works (from the 12th century) leads most experts to believe that the "classical" art of emakimono grew during this period from the 10th century, first appearing in illustrations in novels or diaries produced by the ladies of the court. In addition, the initial themes remained close to waka poetry (seasons, Buddhism, nature and other themes). Therefore,
1836-527: The Dōjō-ji Engi Emaki [ fr ] (16th century). On the other hand, the innovative and more spiritual influences of Chinese Song art , deeply rooted in spirituality and Zen Buddhism, initiated the dominant artistic movement of wash (ink or monochromatic painting in water, sumi-e or suiboku-ga in Japanese) in the ensuing Muromachi period , guided by such famous artists as Tenshō Shūbun or Sesshū Tōyō . A professional current
1938-725: The Ishiyama-dera Engi Emaki [ fr ] (1497), the Seikō-ji Engi emaki [ fr ] (1487) or a version of the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki (1503); he paid great attention to details and colours, despite a common composition. In a more general way, the illustration of novels in the classic yamato-e style (such as the many versions of the Genji Monogatari Emaki or The Tales of Ise Emaki ) persisted during late medieval times. If emakimono therefore ceased to be
2040-478: The Shigisan Engi Emaki . For example, the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki recounts the life and death of Sugawara no Michizane , Minister in the 9th century and tragic figure in Japanese history, revered in the manner of a god ( kami ). The rich colours, the tense contours, the search for movement and the very realistic details of the faces well illustrate this mixture of styles, especially as
2142-465: The Zuijin Teiki Emaki attributed to Fujiwara no Nobuzane , directly present portrait galleries according to the iconographic techniques of the time. A similar change was felt in religion as the esoteric Buddhist sects of the Heian era ( Tendai and Shingon ) gave way to Pure Land Buddhism ( Jōdo ), which primarily addressed the people by preaching simple practices of devotion to
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#17327811655222244-475: The yamato-e style, these Japanese works are above all an everyday art, centered on the human being and the sensations conveyed by the artist. Although the very first 8th-century emakimono were copies of Chinese works, emakimono of Japanese taste appeared from the 10th century in the Heian imperial court , especially among aristocratic ladies with refined and reclusive lives, who devoted themselves to
2346-591: The Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki or the Ippen Shōnin Eden . As for the workshops of the court, they satisfied the orders of the palace, whether for the illustration of novels or historical chronicles, such as the Heiji Monogatari Emaki . A form of exploitation of the story could also motivate the sponsor: for example, Heiji Monogatari Emaki were produced for the Minamoto clan (winner of
2448-565: The Heian-kyō court despite his humble origins, and who became a popular literary figure. Subsequently, the victim of a conspiracy orchestrated by Fujiwara no Tokihira , he was wrongly convicted and died in exile. From the start, he was credited with a divine origin, for he "appeared" as a child in his father's garden; the divine child remains a popular myth of Buddhism , referring to the historical Buddha . Later, his intellectual as well as physical capacities were emphasised, for example through
2550-462: The Amida Buddha . These very active sects used emakimono intensively during the 13th and 14th centuries to illustrate and disseminate their doctrines. Several religious practices influenced the Kamakura emakimono : notably, public sermons and picture explaining sessions ( 絵解 , e-toki ) led the artists to use scrolls of larger size than usual, and to represent the protagonists of
2652-508: The Genpei War ), and the Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba was created to extol the deeds of a samurai in search of recognition from the shōgun . These works were, it seems, intended to be read by nobles. Nevertheless, Seckel and Hasé assert that the separation between the secular and the religious remains unclear and undoubtedly does not correspond to an explicit practice: thus, the aristocrats regularly ordered emakimono to offer them to
2754-462: The Matsuzaki version (1311) by Dōchō and Ryūshin , a very elegant and decorative work, with several differences from the original Jōkyū version. From the point of view of the narrative, the various versions are generally divided into three branches, according to the introductory sentence in each version: The original version of the scroll also influenced other types of paintings, such as
2856-457: The Nara period , the Japanese were inspired by the Tang dynasty : administration, architecture, dress customs or ceremonies. The exchanges between China and Japan were also fruitful for the arts, mainly religious arts, and the artists of the Japanese archipelago were eager to copy and appropriate continental techniques. In that context, experts assume that the first Chinese painted scrolls arrived on
2958-525: The article wizard to submit a draft for review, or request a new article . Search for " Six destinées " in existing articles. Look for pages within Misplaced Pages that link to this title . Other reasons this message may be displayed: If a page was recently created here, it may not be visible yet because of a delay in updating the database; wait a few minutes or try the purge function . Titles on Misplaced Pages are case sensitive except for
3060-509: The six realms (or destinies [ fr ] ) Buddhist paintings ( rokudō-e ) – such as the Hell Scroll or the two versions of the Gaki Zōshi [ fr ] , otoko-e paintings – aimed to frighten the faithful with horror scenes. Retracing the evolution of emakimono remains difficult, due to the few works that have survived. However, the obvious mastery of
3162-670: The 10th century Imperial Court. The beginnings of the Japanese-inspired Heian period painting technique, retrospectively named yamato-e , can be found initially in some aspects of Buddhist painting of the new esoteric Tendai and Shingon sects, then more strongly in Pure Land Buddhism ( Jodō ); after a phase when Chinese techniques were copied, the art of the Japanese archipelago became progressively more delicate, lyrical, decorative with less powerful but more colorful compositions. Nevertheless, it
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3264-670: The 3rd century CE under the Han dynasty and the 2nd century CE under the Zhou dynasty , the pottery of which was adorned with hunting scenes juxtaposed with movements. Paper was invented in China in about the 1st century CE, simplifying the writing on scrolls of laws or sutra, sometimes decorated. The first narrative scrolls arrived later; various masters showed interest in this medium, including Gu Kaizhi (345–406), who experimented with new techniques. Genre painting and Chinese characters, dominant in
3366-671: The 4th century CE. They were used for religious texts and entered China by the 1st century. Handscrolls were introduced to Japan centuries later through the spread of Buddhism. The earliest extant Japanese handscroll was created in the 8th century and focuses on the life of the Buddha. The origins of Japanese handscrolls can be found in China and, to a lesser extent, in Korea , the main sources of Japanese artistic inspiration until modern times. Narrative art forms in China can be traced back to between
3468-492: The Chinese and Korean scrolls, emakimono combine calligraphy and illustrations and are painted, drawn or stamped on long rolls of paper or silk sometimes measuring several metres. The reader unwinds each scroll little by little, revealing the story as seen fit. Emakimono are therefore a narrative genre similar to the book, developing romantic or epic stories, or illustrating religious texts and legends. Fully anchored in
3570-493: The God of Thunder in the work is very similar to those of the statues of Raijin ( 雷神 , lit. "Thunder God") and Fūjin ( 風神 , lit. "Wind God") at Sanjūsangen-dō . Besides its historical and religious content, the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki offers insight into everyday life, not of the time of Michizane, but of that of the artist 300 years later. The latter painted, for example, various rites and birth ceremonies or
3672-565: The Heian period onwards, emakimono came to be dissociated from China, mainly in their themes. Chinese scrolls were intended mainly to illustrate the transcendent principles of Buddhism and the serenity of the landscapes, suggesting the grandeur and the spirituality. The Japanese, on the other hand, had refocused their scrolls on everyday life and man, conveying drama, humour and feelings. Thus, emakimono began to be inspired by literature, poetry, nature and especially everyday life; in short, they formed an intimate art, sometimes in opposition to
3774-478: The Kamakura period is also displayed in the scenes of movement, such as the jostling or fleeing of a character. Although Buddhism greatly inspired Japanese art at the time, the style of the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki is also linked to Shinto , resulting in greater freedom and humanity. This aspect is shown particularly in the landscapes, insisting on the details and the animist spirit, according to T. Lesoulc'h [ fr ] . The latter also notes in places
3876-504: The art of emakimono . Under the impetus of the new warrior class in power, and the new Buddhist sects, production was indeed very sustained and the themes and techniques more varied than before. The emakimono style of the time was characterized by two aspects: the synthesis of the genres of yamato-e , and realism. Initially, the evolution marked previously by the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba (very late Heian era)
3978-406: The artist's sensitivity and technique. The themes of the stories were very varied: illustrations of novels, historical chronicles, religious texts, biographies of famous people, humorous or fantastic anecdotes, etc. The Kamakura period, the advent of which followed a period of political turmoil and civil wars, was marked by the coming to power of the warrior class (the samurai ). Artistic production
4080-431: The artistic tastes of the court in the 11th century, inclined to an emotional, melancholic and refined representation of relations within the palace, and formed a pictorial vector very suited to the narrative. Even though they are mentioned in the antique texts, no emakimono of the early Heian period (9th and 10th centuries) remains extant today; the oldest emakimono illustrating a novel mentioned in period sources
4182-471: The arts led to a more realistic and human representation (anger, pain or size). If the activity related to religion was prolific, then so too were the orders of the bushi (noble warriors). Several emakimono of historical or military chronicles are among the most famous, notably the Hōgen Monogatari Emaki [ fr ] (no longer extant) and the Heiji Monogatari Emaki ; of
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4284-442: The arts, poetry, painting, calligraphy and literature. However, no emakimono remain from the Heian period, and the oldest masterpieces date back to the "golden age" of emakimono in the 12th and 13th centuries. During this period, the techniques of composition became highly accomplished, and the subjects were even more varied than before, dealing with history, religion, romances, and other famous tales. The patrons who sponsored
4386-606: The author of the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba and the Nenjū Gyōji Emaki [ fr ] , or Enichibō Jōnin [ fr ] for part of the Kegon Engi Emaki . Nevertheless, the life of these artists remains poorly known, at most they seem to be of noble extraction. Such a background is particularly implied by the always very precise depictions in emakimono of the imperial palace (interior architecture, clothing and rituals) or official bodies (notably
4488-492: The beauty of its landscapes and its calligraphic poetry. Towards the middle of the Kamakura period, there was a revival of interest in the Heian court, which already appeared to be a peak of Japanese civilization, and its refined culture. Thus the Murasaki Shikibu Nikki Emaki , which traces the life and intrigues of Murasaki Shikibu , author of The Tale of Genji (10th century), largely reflects
4590-425: The calligraphy and the image, each new painting illustrating the preceding text, and those which present continuous paintings, not interrupted by the text, where various technical measures allow the fluid transitions between the scenes. Today, emakimono offer a unique historical glimpse into the life and customs of Japanese people, of all social classes and all ages, during the early part of medieval times. Few of
4692-441: The classical scrolls of the end of the Heian period testifies to at least a century of maturation and pictorial research. These foundations permitted the emakimono artists of the ensuing Kamakura period to engage in sustained production in all of the themes. The era covering the end of the Heian period and much of the Kamakura period , or the 12th and 13th centuries, is commonly described by art historians as "the golden age" of
4794-434: The composition of poems or participation in archery. He died in 903. In the second part of the Jōkyū version, the vengeful ghost of Michizane returns to earth after his death to torment the actors of the conspiracy, in the form of a god of thunder. Several incidents occur in the years following his death, in particular fires in the capital (Kyōto) and the deaths of his opponents; these misdeeds are swiftly attributed to
4896-512: The construction of a story, so the composition must be based on the transitions from scene to scene until the final denouement. Emakimono were initially strongly influenced by China, as were the Japanese arts of the time; the Illustrated Sutra of Cause and Effect [ fr ] incorporates many of the naive, simple styles of the Tang dynasty , although dissonances can be discerned, especially in relation to colours. From
4998-428: The court. Monks were also able to produce paintings without any patronage. Secondly, in medieval Japan there were professional painters' workshops [ fr ] ( 絵 所 , literally 'painting office' ) ; during the Kamakura period, professional production dominated greatly, and several categories of workshops were distinguished: those officially attached to the palace ( kyūtei edokoro ), those attached to
5100-416: The creation of these emakimono were above all the aristocrats and Buddhist temples. From the 14th century, the emakimono genre became more marginal, giving way to new movements born mainly from Zen Buddhism. Emakimono paintings mostly belong to the yamato-e style, characterized by its subjects from Japanese life and landscapes, the staging of the human, and an emphasis on rich colours and
5202-511: The creativity of classical scrolls is felt even less in otogi-zōshi , because even though the composition is similar, the lack of harmony of colors and the overloaded appearance are detrimental; it seems that the production is often the work of amateurs. However, a field of study of nara-ehon and the nara-e pictorial style exists on the fringes and stands out from the framework of emakimono . Various other artists, notably Tawaraya Sōtatsu and Yosa Buson , were still interested in
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#17327811655225304-1118: The crucial lack of information and documents on these rare known artists leads Japanese art historians rather to identify styles, workshops, and schools of production. Six destin%C3%A9es Look for Six destinées on one of Misplaced Pages's sister projects : [REDACTED] Wiktionary (dictionary) [REDACTED] Wikibooks (textbooks) [REDACTED] Wikiquote (quotations) [REDACTED] Wikisource (library) [REDACTED] Wikiversity (learning resources) [REDACTED] Commons (media) [REDACTED] Wikivoyage (travel guide) [REDACTED] Wikinews (news source) [REDACTED] Wikidata (linked database) [REDACTED] Wikispecies (species directory) Misplaced Pages does not have an article with this exact name. Please search for Six destinées in Misplaced Pages to check for alternative titles or spellings. You need to log in or create an account and be autoconfirmed to create new articles. Alternatively, you can use
5406-420: The daily lives of the people, historical chronicles, and the biographies of famous monks; ultimately, a style of emakimono depicting matters outside the palace and called otoko-e ("men's painting"). The Shigisan Engi Emaki (middle of the 12th century), with dynamic and free lines, light colors and a decidedly popular and humorous tone, perfectly illustrate this movement, not hesitating to depict
5508-651: The dominant artistic media in Japan since the end of the Kamakura period, it is in the illustration movement of Otogi-zōshi ( otogi meaning "to tell stories") that emakimono developed a new popular vigour in the 15th and 16th centuries (the Muromachi period); the term nara-ehon (literally, "the book of illustrations of Nara ") sometimes designated them in a controversial way (because they were anachronistic and combined books with scrolls), or more precisely as otogi-zōshi emaki or nara-emaki . These are small, symbolic and funny tales, intended to pass
5610-678: The famous Screens of the Thunder and Wind Gods by Tawaraya Sōtatsu , as well as possibly other paintings depicting the ways of existence ( rokudo-e and jikkai-zu ), in the form of a kakemono at the Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji temple in Kyōto. [REDACTED] Media related to Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki at Wikimedia Commons Emakimono Illustrated handscrolls , emakimono ( 絵巻物 , lit. ' illustrated scroll ' , also emaki-mono ) , or emaki ( 絵巻 )
5712-598: The famous eponymous novel, narrates the political and amorous intrigues of Prince Hikaru Genji ; the rich and opaque colors affixed over the entire surface of the paper ( tsukuri-e method), the intimacy and melancholy of the composition and finally the illustration of the emotional peaks of the novel taking place only inside the Imperial Palace are characteristics of the onna-e subgenre of yamato-e , reserved for court narratives usually written by aristocratic ladies. In that scroll, each painting illustrates
5814-466: The foundation in his honour of the Kitano Tenmangū temple in Kyōto, an important Shinto shrine . In its original version, it consists of eight scrolls 52 cm (20 in) high and 8.45 m (27.7 ft) to 12.05 m (39.5 ft) long, although the end is unfinished. The first portion of the text in the original version includes a claim that it was painted in about 1219; that version
5916-400: The great temples and shrines ( jiin edokoro ), or finally those hosted by a few senior figures. The study of certain colophons and period texts makes it possible to associate many emakimono with these professional workshops, and even sometimes to understand how they function. When produced by the temple workshops, emakimono were intended mainly as proselytism, or to disseminate
6018-515: The image, sometimes to the point of making the text disappear. The scrolls have a limited height (on average between 30 cm (12 in) and 39 cm (15 in)), compared with their length (on average 9 m (30 ft) to 12 m (39 ft)), meaning that emakimono are therefore limited to being read alone, historically by the aristocracy and members of the high clergy. Handscrolls are believed to have been invented in India before
6120-512: The imperial police ( 検非違使 , kebiishi ) ). The Shigisan Engi Emaki illustrates that point well, as the precision of both religious and aristocratic motifs suggests that the painter is close to those two worlds. Perhaps a more famous artist is Fujiwara no Nobuzane , aristocrat of the Fujiwara clan and author of the Zuijin Teiki Emaki , as well as various suites of realistic portraits ("likeness pictures" ( 似絵 , nise-e ) ,
6222-530: The initiators of the classical emakimono , are to be found at the emperor's court in Heian, among the aristocrats versed in the various arts. Period sources mention in particular painting competitions ( e-awase ) where the nobles competed around a common theme from a poem, as described by Murasaki Shikibu in The Tale of Genji . Their work seems to focus more on the illustration of novels ( monogatari ) and diaries ( nikki ), rather feminine literature of
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#17327811655226324-661: The interior of buildings ( fukinuki yatai ). A second notable example of the onna-e paintings in the Heian period is the Nezame Monogatari Emaki , which appears to be very similar to the Genji Monogatari Emaki , but presents softer and more decorative paintings giving pride of place to the representation of nature subtly emphasising the feelings of the characters. In contrast with court paintings inspired by women's novels ( onna-e ) there are other scrolls inspired by themes such as
6426-620: The islands around the 6th century CE, and probably correspond to illustrated sutra. Thus, the oldest known Japanese narrative painted scroll (or emakimono ) dates from the 7th century to the Nara period: the Illustrated Sutra of Cause and Effect [ fr ] , which traces the life of the Gautama Buddha , founder of the Buddhist religion, until his Illumination. Still naive in style ( Six Dynasties and early Tang dynasty) with
6528-413: The large number of more or less similar copies on the lives of great monks and the founding of the important temples. Various historians emphasise the use of emakimono in sessions of picture explaining ( 絵 解 , e-toki ) , during which a learned monk detailed the contents of the scrolls to a popular audience. Specialists thus explicate the unusually large dimensions of the different versions of
6630-482: The late Heian period (second half of the 12th century) were already very mature. If almost all emakimono belong to the genre of yamato-e , several sub-genres stand out within this style, including in the Heian period onna-e ("women's painting") and otoko-e ("men's painting"). Several classic scrolls of each genre perfectly represent these pictorial movements. First, the Genji Monogatari Emaki (designed between around 1120 and 1140), illustrating
6732-460: The latter, the scroll kept at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston remains highly regarded for its mastery of composition (which reaches a crescendo at the dramatic climax of the scroll, i.e. the burning of the palace and the bloody battle between foot soldiers), and for its contribution to present day understanding of Japanese medieval weapons and armour. Akiyama Terukazu describes it as "a masterpiece on
6834-570: The life of Sugawara no Michizane and the construction of the Kitano Tenmangū shrine in his honour after his death. Originating in Japan in the sixth or seventh century through trade with the Chinese Empire , emakimono art spread widely among the aristocracy in the Heian period . An emakimono consists of one or more long rolls of paper narrating a story through Yamato-e texts and paintings. The reader discovers
6936-422: The life of the Japanese people in its most insignificant details. Here, the color is applied only in light touches that leave the paper bare, as the supple and free line dominates the composition, unlike the constructed paintings of the court. In addition, the text occupies very limited space, the artist painting rather long scenes without fixed limits. Two other masterpieces emerged into the light of day during
7038-434: The men, who studied Chinese writing from a young age, the women adopted a new syllabary , hiragana , which was simpler and more consistent with the phonetics of Japanese. Heian period novels ( monogatari ) and diaries ( nikki ) recorded intimate details about life, love affairs and intrigues at court as they developed; the best known of these is the radical Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu , lady-in-waiting of
7140-434: The names of the "masters" of emakimono . Moreover, a scroll can be the fruit of collaboration by several artists; some techniques such as tsukuri-e even naturally incline to such collaboration. Art historians are more interested in determining the social and artistic environment of painters: amateurs or professionals, at court or in temples, aristocrats or of modest birth. In the first place, amateur painters, perhaps
7242-467: The narrative scroll until around the 17th century. The Kanō school used narrative scrolls in the same way; Kanō Tan'yū realised several scrolls on the Tokugawa battles, particularly that of Sekigahara in his Tōshō Daigongen Engi , where he was inspired in places by the Heiji Monogatari Emaki (13th century). In essence, an emakimono is a narrative system (like a book) that requires
7344-400: The nervousness of the features, similar to the Song dynasty wash technique characteristic of Zen Buddhism. However, Buddhist iconography remains heavily used, whether through the narration of the life of Michizane, modelled on the life of the historical Buddha, or the presence of Buddhist creatures, or the illustration of the six realms of existence. So, for example, the representation of
7446-431: The nobles, especially the ladies interested in the illustration of novels, and seems to have become prevalent early in the 10th century. As with religious painting, the themes of Japanese life, appreciated by the nobles, did not fit well with painting of Chinese sensibility, so much so that court artists developed to a certain extent a new national technique which appeared to be fashionable in the 11th century, for example in
7548-502: The one hand, emakimono had become less inspired, marked by an extreme aesthetic mannerism (such as the exaggerated use of gold and silver powder) with a composition more technical than creative; the tendency to multiply the scenes in a fixed style can be seen in the Hōnen Shōnin Eden [ fr ] (the longest known emakimono , with 48 scrolls, completed in 1307), the Kasuga Gongen Genki E (1309) and
7650-403: The other hand, from right to left (according to the writing direction of Japanese). In this way, only part of the story can be seen – about 60 centimetres (24 in), though more can be unrolled – and the artist creates a succession of images to construct the story. Once the emakimono has been read, the reader must rewind the scroll again in its original reading direction. The emakimono
7752-437: The outfits of young monks in the temples. A scene from the first part of the work shows a boat propelled by six rowers, testimony of medieval Japanese ships of which no example remains. More generally, the architecture of the characters' habitats, their internal layout, the clothes, the festivities, the wooden bridges, the graves, the pets, the children who appear very frequently, and a multitude of other details are revealed by
7854-526: The painting techniques of the time, notably the tsukuri-e , but in a more decorative and extroverted style. Other works followed that trend, such as Ise Monogatari Emaki , the Makura no Sōshi Emaki [ fr ] or the Sumiyoshi Monogatari Emaki . By the end of the Kamakura period, the art of emakimono was already losing its importance. Experts note that, on
7956-402: The paintings arranged in friezes above the text, it is very likely a copy of an older Chinese model, several versions of which have been identified. Although subsequent classical emakimono feature a very different style from that of this work, it foreshadows the golden age of the movement that came four centuries later, from the 12th century CE onwards. The Heian period appears today as
8058-417: The paintings drew their inspiration from both Buddhism and Shinto . The realistic trends that were in vogue in Kamakura art, perfectly embodied by sculpture , were exposed in the majority of the Kamakura emakimono ; indeed, the bakufu shogunate system held power over Japan, and the refined and codified art of the court gave way to more fluidity and dynamism. The greater simplicity advocated in
8160-420: The paintings probably had a didactic value, serving as a support for the teaching or the recitation of Buddhist legends. Sessions of explanation of religious paintings ( e-toki ) were common in the Kamakura period. In addition, any such didactic aspect would also explain the unusually large height of the scroll and the large number of versions. The esoteric beliefs of the time may also suggest that its function
8262-405: The rupture of relations with China until the 9th century, due to disorders related to the collapse of the glorious Tang dynasty , promoted what Miyeko Murase has described as the "emergence of national taste" as a truly Japanese culture departed for the first time from Chinese influence since the early Kofun period . This development was first observed in the literature of the Heian women: unlike
8364-511: The scrolls have survived intact, and around 20 are protected as National Treasures of Japan . The term emakimono or e-makimono , often abbreviated as emaki , is made up of the kanji e ( 絵 , "painting") , maki ( 巻 , "scroll" or "book") and mono ( 物 , "thing") . The term refers to long scrolls of painted paper or silk, which range in length from under a metre to several metres long; some are reported as measuring up to 12 metres (40 ft) in length. The scrolls tell
8466-411: The scrolls up to the 10th century CE, remain little known to this day, because they were overshadowed by the famous landscape scrolls of the Song dynasty . Relations with East Asia (mainly China and Korea) brought Chinese writing ( kanji ) to Japan by the 4th century, and Buddhism in the 6th century, together with interest in the apparently very effective bureaucracy of the mighty Chinese Empire . In
8568-422: The search for Chinese spiritual greatness. The first Japanese themes in the Heian period were very closely linked to waka literature and poetry: paintings of the seasons, the annual calendar of ceremonies, the countryside and finally the famous landscapes of the Japanese archipelago ( meisho-e [ fr ] ). Subsequently, the Kamakura warriors and the new Pure Land Buddhist sects diversified
8670-543: The seasonal landscapes of the panel paintings in the Phoenix Hall ( 鳳凰堂 , Hōō-dō ) or Amida Hall at the Byōdō-in temple, a masterpiece of primitive yamato-e of the early 11th century. Experts believe that yamato-e illustrations of novels and painted narrative scrolls, or emakimono , developed in the vein of this secular art, linked to literature and poetry. The painting technique lent itself fully to
8772-486: The second half of the 12th century. First, the Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga forms a monochrome sketch in ink gently caricaturing the customs of Buddhist monks, where the spontaneity of touch stands out. Secondly, the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba tells of a political conspiracy in the year 866 by offering a surprising mixture of the two genres onna-e and otoko-e , with free lines and sometimes light, sometimes rich and opaque colors; this meeting of genres foreshadows
8874-415: The slow maturation of the movement of emakimono was closely linked to the emergence of Japanese culture and literature, as well as to the interest of ladies soon joined by professional painters from palace workshops ( e-dokoro ) or temples, who created a more "professional" and successful technique. The art historians consider that the composition and painting techniques they see in the masterpieces of
8976-474: The spirit of Michizane. More precisely, a priest named Nichizō describes having conversed with him while he crossed the six realms of existence ( rokudo ), notably the underworld, before returning from the afterlife. Contrary to the original story, Nichizō 's journey is recounted in detail, in a fantastic, even Dantesque way. The court finally decided to build the Kitano Tenmangū shrine in Kyōto in 947 in honour of Michizane in order to calm his mind,
9078-407: The story by progressively unrolling the scroll with one hand while rewinding it with the other hand, from right to left (according to the then horizontal writing direction of Japanese script ), so that only a portion of text or image of about 60 cm (24 in) is visible. The narrative of an emakimono assumes a series of scenes, the rhythm, composition and transitions of which are entirely
9180-434: The story in a somewhat disproportionate way compared with emakimono of the standard sizes, to enable those protagonists to be seen from a distance, in a typically Japanese non-realistic perspective (such as the Ippen Shōnin Eden ). The religious emakimono of the Kamakura period focus on the foundation of the temples, or the lives of famous monks. During that period, many of the religious institutions commissioned
9282-480: The style that dominated a few decades later, during the Kamakura period . While the authority of the court rapidly declined, the end of the Heian period (in 1185) was marked by the advent of the provincial lords (in particular, the Taira and the Minamoto ), who acquired great power at the top of the state. Exploiting the unrest associated with the Genpei War , which provided fertile ground for religious proselytism,
9384-529: The subject of the world's military." In the same spirit, a noble warrior had the Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba designed to recount his military exploits during the Mongol invasions of Japan . Kamakura art particularly flourished in relation to realistic portraiture ( nise-e ); if the characters in the emakimono therefore evolved towards greater pictorial realism, some, such as the Sanjūrokkasen emaki , or
9486-610: The subjects even more widely. Despite the wide range of emakimono themes, specialists like to categorise them, both in substance and in form. An effective method of differentiating emakimono comes back to the study of the subjects by referring to the canons of the time. The categorisation proposed by Okudaira and Fukui thus distinguishes between secular and religious paintings: A third category covers more heterogeneous works, mixing religion and narration or religion and popular humour. The authors of emakimono are most often unknown nowadays and it remains risky to speculate as to
9588-538: The supernatural (a number of otogi-zōshi emaki depict all sorts of yōkai and folk creatures), as well as social caricatures and popular novels. Among the preserved examples are genre paintings such as Buncho no sasshi and Sazare-ichi , or supernatural Buddhist tales such as the Tsuchigumo Sōshi or the Hyakki Yagyō Emaki [ fr ] . From the point of view of art historians,
9690-463: The texts, present only in the first six scrolls, could be attributed in part to the sponsor, Kujō Michiie , according to Minamoto Toyomune . Kujō Michiie donated the Jōkyū version to the Kitano Tenmangū shrine, probably to strengthen the political position of the Kujō family in the early 13th century (an unstable period). The Yamato-e style of painting in the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki
9792-435: The time focusing on mythology, folklore, legends, religious beliefs or even contemporary society. This particular form of emakimono dates back to Heian times, but it was under Muromachi that it gained real popularity. The relative popularity of otogi-zōshi seems to have stemmed from a burgeoning lack of enthusiasm for hectic or religious stories; the people had become more responsive to themes of dreams, laughter and
9894-516: The workshops of painters (often monk-painters) to create emakimono recounting their foundation, or the biography of the founding monk. Among the best-known works on such themes are the illustrated biographies of Ippen , Hōnen [ fr ] , Shinran [ fr ] and Xuanzang , as well as the Kegon Engi Emaki and the Taima Mandara Engi Emaki [ fr ] . The Ippen biography, painted by
9996-512: Was especially in secular art that the nascent yamato-e was felt most strongly; its origins went back to the sliding partitions and screens of the Heian Imperial Palace , covered with paintings on paper or silk, the themes of which were chosen from waka court poetry, annual rites, seasons or the famous lives and landscapes of the archipelago ( meisho-e [ fr ] ). This secular art then spread among
10098-526: Was nevertheless maintained by the Tosa school : the only one still to claim the yamato-e , it produced many emakimono to the order of the court or the temples (this school of painters led the imperial edokoro until the 18th century). Tosa Mitsunobu notably produced several works on the foundation of temples: the Kiyomizu-dera Engi Emaki [ fr ] (1517), a scroll of
10200-402: Was spreading very widely due to the importance given both to the freedom of brush strokes and the lightness of the tones ( otoko-e ), as well as bright colors rendered by thick pigments for certain elements of the scenes ( onna-e ). However, the very refined appearance of the court paintings later gave way to more dynamic and popular works, at least in relation to the theme, in the manner of
10302-428: Was to appease tormented spirits. The story in the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki is based on a text (an engi , or story of the founding of a temple) said to have been written shortly before 1194, about 30 years prior to the Jōkyū version's creation. Apart from an abandoned theory which attributed the Jōkyū version to Fujiwara no Nobuzane, no clues about the artist of the Jōkyū version have survived. However,
10404-441: Was very strong, and more varied themes and techniques than before were explored, signalling the "golden age" of emakimono (the 12th and 13th centuries). Under the impetus of the new warrior class in power, emakimono evolved towards a more realistic and composite pictorial style. The Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki narrates the life and death of Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), as well as his deification as Tenjin and
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