Illustrated Tale for a Long Autumn Night (Aki no yonaga monogatari emaki), Nanbokucho period (1336–1392), late 14th century
Japan
Scroll two from a set of three handscrolls; ink, color, and gold on paper; 12 1/8 in. x 41 ft. 2 1/8 in. (30.9 cm x 12.55 m)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Funds from various donors, by exchange, Fletcher Fund and Dodge Fund, 2002 (2002.459.2)
Curator Comment
In 2002, the Museum acquired a rare set of three handscrolls illustrating the romance between a mature Buddhist monk and a young male novice, a type of story called chigo monogatari which became popular in the fourteenth century. The scrolls tell the story of the monk, Keikai, from a temple on Mount Hiei, who loved the handsome young acolyte, Umewaka, from the nearby temple of Miidera. They met in secret until one night Umewaka was abducted by evil goblins. The monks of Miidera accused the monks of Mount Hiei, and in the battle that ensued Miidera was destroyed. The young man, blaming himself for the destruction of his temple, drowned himself as penance. Keikai devoted the rest of his life to praying for him.
The unidentified painter of the scrolls combined the traditional yamato-e technique with the ink-monochrome painting of China that became popular in Japan in the thirteenth century. His familiarity with the Chinese ink technique is evident in the dark shading on rocks, hills, and mountains and in the strong accents in dark ink on the tree trunks.
Masako Watanabe, senior research associate, Department of Asian Art