Scenes from the Tales of Ise
Most versions of the tenth-century Tales of Ise comprise 125 uta monogatari, or short tales accompanied by poems. In this pair of early seventeenth-century screens, eight poems have been selected from the tale and inscribed within the gold of the clouds and ground. Each poemtale begins with a brief prose passage that sets up an exchange of waka (poems of 31 syllables) between the aristocratic hero Ariwara no Narihira (825–880) and, for the most part, the numerous women with whom he is romantically involved. (Not all his interlocutors are love interests; his friends and other female characters figure in the tales as well.) The poems reflect upon the famous places and beguiling scenery that Narihira encounters during his travels, thus appealing to the tastes of the cultivated elite. The Tales of Ise has remained influential, serving as a source for illustrations in various media.
Artwork Details
- Title: Scenes from the Tales of Ise
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: first half of the 17th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Image (each): 36 11/16 in. × 8 ft. 7 1/4 in. (93.2 × 262.2 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.300.103.1, .2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙
right screen: 1774; left screen: 1793
Ogata Kōrin
after 1709
Ogata Kōrin
ca. 1704–9
Japan
early 17th century
Japan
early 17th century
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