is a late 12th-century ''
emakimono
or 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 Kam ...
'' (handscroll painting) depicting the events of the
Ōtemmon Conspiracy, an event of Japan's early
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...
. The painting, attributed to
Tokiwa Mitsunaga, is over long and about tall.
History
It is widely believed that these handscrolls were ordered by the retired
Emperor Go-Shirakawa
was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''i ...
(1127-1192, r. 1155-1158) to pacify the angry spirit of
Tomo no Yoshio after the imperial Ōtenmon burnt down during the Kyoto fire in 1177. Regardless of whether the scroll was made as a result of the fire in 1177, it appears that the intention of the scroll is to mollify Tomo no Yoshio’s angry spirit.
Description
The scroll itself depicts the events of the Ōtenmon conspiracy involving Tomo no Yoshio, which occurred on the tenth day of the third month of 866. Tomo no Yoshio’s regret was emphasized in the scrolls through the written text in an attempt to protect against the
vengeful will of Tomo no Yoshio’s spirit.
The full-color painting depicts the events of the 3rd month of 866, in which Ban Dainagon, also known as
Tomo no Yoshio, set fire to the Ōtemmon gate of Kyoto. He then blamed one of his political rivals,
Minister of the left
The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702.
The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the i ...
Minamoto no Makoto
was the seventh son of the Japanese Emperor Saga, and was the first courtier to be given the name Minamoto. Initially an honorary name given to a number of unrelated courtiers by a number of different Emperors, the Minamoto clan would grow to be ...
for the fire. However, the true culprit was soon discovered, and Tomo no Yoshio was banished to
Izu province
was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Izu''" in . Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .
The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising th ...
.
Stylistically, the scroll is interesting because it is done using a combination of the ''otoko-e'' and ''tsukuri-e'' styles. Calligraphic lines are used to define figures, which characterizes the ''otoko-e'' style used in the ''
shigisan-engi
The is an or (painted narrative handscroll) made in the second half of the 12th century CE, during the Heian period of Japanese history (794–1185). It is an illuminated manuscript detailing miracles attributed to the monk , who lived on ...
'' scroll. However, thick coats of bright colors are used in some scenes, typical of the ''tsukuri-e'' style used in the ''
Genji Monogatari Emaki
The , also called ''The Tale of Genji'' Scroll, is a famous illustrated handscroll of the Japanese literature classic '' The Tale of Genji'', produced during the 12th century, perhaps . The surviving sections, now broken up and mounted for co ...
''.
[Mason 121.]
{{wide image, Ban dainagon ekotoba.jpg, 1000px, Section from the ''Ban Dainagon Ekotoba'' scroll
Plot of the three scrolls
Vol. 1 — The first scroll illustrates the burning of the Otemmon gate while people tried to put out the flames, followed by the proof that Makoto was unjustly accused of his actions during the misunderstandings.
Vol. 2 — The Second scroll showcased the consolation to Makoto while he is praying to the gods and Buddha despite the fact that he did not do the actions which he was accused of. After that, they showed the suspicions about Tomo no Yoshio burning the gates. This imagery is rather indirect. It illustrates children arguing in the streets, later joined by their parents to abuse them and then gossiping amongst themselves about Tomo no Yoshio burning the gates.
Vol. 3 — The Third Scroll displays the arrest of Tomo no Yoshio as he is sent to exile. The picture indicates that Tomo no Yoshio had a servant who accidentally revealed the true culprit to the burning of the gate and after being arrested, he confessed to the police about what happened. The women in his mansion seemed morally weakened as they weep while Tomo no Yoshio is being taken to exile by the police in an ox cart.
See also
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings)
The term "National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897.
The definition and the criteria have changed since the inception of the term. These paintings adhere to the current definition, and were designated nat ...
Notes
References
*Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
*Mason, Penelope (2005). "History of Japanese Art." 2nd ed, rev. by Dinwiddie, Donald. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
Japanese paintings
12th-century paintings
History of art in Japan
Emakimono