A Long Tale for an Autumn Night (Aki no yo nagamonogatari)
A Long Tale for an Autumn Night represents a genre of story that became popular in Japan in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It tells of an amorous affair between a Buddhist monk and a younger male acolyte (chigo). The usual outcome of these tragic tales is the monk's attainment of religious salvation after repenting his obsession with carnal pleasures.
A Long Tale for an Autumn Night comprises three illustrated handscrolls (emaki), with the narrative progressing from right to left. Note the use of a device called iji dōzu (literally, "different time, same illustration"), in which the same figures appear multiple times in a single pictorial segment so that several events can be depicted simultaneously.
At an earlier point, the first section of this handscroll was excised and mounted separately as a hanging scroll. In 2005 the Museum acquired the missing section and restored it to its original location in the story.
A Long Tale for an Autumn Night
Scroll 2
Keiju led Umewaka to Keikai’s room, where they spent one night together. Afterward Keikai returned to Mount Hiei, but he could no longer focus on his religious practice, for he missed Umewaka too much. Heartsick, he retreated from public life. When Umewaka heard of Keikai’s condition, he hurried to Mount Hiei with Keiju at his side. The journey was arduous, and they stopped to rest. An old man approached in a palanquin and offered to take them up the mountain. Exhausted, they accepted his offer, but when they climbed into the vehicle, the man, a mountain goblin in disguise, abducted them.
Umewaka’s disappearance sparked a terrible row, for the monks of Miidera, aware of the relationship between Umewaka and Keikai, suspected that Keikai’s fellow monks at Mount Hiei were responsible. Assuming also that Umewaka’s father was involved, they burned his mansion to the ground. The monks of Mount Hiei, led by Keikai, retaliated by razing the Miidera compound, sparing only the shrine to their tutelary god, Shinra.
A Long Tale for an Autumn Night comprises three illustrated handscrolls (emaki), with the narrative progressing from right to left. Note the use of a device called iji dōzu (literally, "different time, same illustration"), in which the same figures appear multiple times in a single pictorial segment so that several events can be depicted simultaneously.
At an earlier point, the first section of this handscroll was excised and mounted separately as a hanging scroll. In 2005 the Museum acquired the missing section and restored it to its original location in the story.
A Long Tale for an Autumn Night
Scroll 2
Keiju led Umewaka to Keikai’s room, where they spent one night together. Afterward Keikai returned to Mount Hiei, but he could no longer focus on his religious practice, for he missed Umewaka too much. Heartsick, he retreated from public life. When Umewaka heard of Keikai’s condition, he hurried to Mount Hiei with Keiju at his side. The journey was arduous, and they stopped to rest. An old man approached in a palanquin and offered to take them up the mountain. Exhausted, they accepted his offer, but when they climbed into the vehicle, the man, a mountain goblin in disguise, abducted them.
Umewaka’s disappearance sparked a terrible row, for the monks of Miidera, aware of the relationship between Umewaka and Keikai, suspected that Keikai’s fellow monks at Mount Hiei were responsible. Assuming also that Umewaka’s father was involved, they burned his mansion to the ground. The monks of Mount Hiei, led by Keikai, retaliated by razing the Miidera compound, sparing only the shrine to their tutelary god, Shinra.
Artwork Details
- 秋夜長物語
- Title: A Long Tale for an Autumn Night (Aki no yo nagamonogatari)
- Artist: Unidentified artist Japanese
- Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
- Date: ca. 1400
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Handscroll 2 from a set of 3; ink, color, and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 12 3/16 in. × 41 ft. 6 1/8 in. (31 × 1265.2 cm)
Overall with mounting: 12 1/2 in. × 43 ft. 2 1/8 in. (31.8 × 1316 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Funds from various donors, by exchange, Fletcher Fund and Dodge Fund, 2002
- Object Number: 2002.459.2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Unidentified artist
ca. 1400
Japan
ca. 1400
Unidentified artist
19th century
Unidentified artist
Liu Songnian
Unidentified artist
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.