「六波羅行幸」　平治物語絵巻　断簡|Scene from “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara,” from The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion (Heiji monogatari)

Unknown

18th century · Handscroll segment mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion tells the story of a short civil war (1159–60) fought in Kyoto between two rival clans, headed by the warriors Minamoto no Yoshitomo and Taira no Kiyomori. The “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara” chapter deals with the escape of Emperor Nijō and his empress consort from the imperial palace, where they had been kept in captivity by the Minamoto clan, and their move to Kiyomori’s residence in the Rokuhara district. The Taira forces managed to smuggle the emperor out of the palace disguised as a lady-in-waiting. The dynamic composition and detailed depiction of the warriors suggest the tense atmosphere during the upheaval.

Artist

Unknown

Date

18th century

Medium

Handscroll segment mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929