保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras

Unknown

17th century · Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper · Asian Art

The Hōgen Rebellion, which occurred in central Kyoto in 1156, involved a dispute over imperial succession. Although it lasted only a few hours, this skirmish and the Heiji Rebellion of 1160 had far-reaching sociopolitical consequences, marking the close of the peaceful Heian period (794–1185) and the rise of the samurai class. These screens, depicting the Hōgen incident on the right and the Heiji on the left, illustrate some of the battles that terrified Kyoto citizenry. Nobles in mansions, warriors in the streets, courtiers in ox-drawn carriages, and samurai on horseback witness the chaos, set against a bird’s-eye view of the city’s verdant hills, rivers, shrines, and temples. This is one of the earliest-known examples of a combined Hōgen-Heiji painting in large-screen format.

Artist

Unknown

Date

17th century

Medium

Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1957