賀茂競馬図屏風|Horse Race at the Kamo Shrine (Kamo kurabeuma zu)

Unidentified

ca. 1600 · Six-panel folding screen; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

The famous horse race at Kyoto’s Kamo Shrine, held annually since the Heian period (794–1185) on the fifth day of the fifth month, was a ritual event preceding the local Aoi Festival. As in almost all depictions of the Kamo race, this folding screen shows several handsomely caparisoned horses moving toward the left edge of the image along the track, which is delineated by temporary fences. Spectators look on, including aristocrats, priests, samurai, musicians, townspeople, and even several Europeans. Further onlookers are seated on the veranda of the large hall at the top of the composition. There, an audience is being given by an august individual who is clearly a member of the imperial family, possibly the emperor himself.

Artist

Unidentified

Date

ca. 1600

Medium

Six-panel folding screen; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2019