洛中洛外図屏風|Scenes in and around the Capital

Unknown

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

The maplike composition of this pair of screens depicts festive scenes and iconic sites in and around Kyoto, among them bustling streets, temples, shrines, and canals set against a panoramic view of the river, surrounding hills, and suburbs. Screens of this type—encyclopedic visualizations that incorporate renowned scenic spots and monuments that served as settings for seasonal events—are also filled with images of townspeople whose customs, garments, mercantile and leisure activities, and modes of transportation are carefully documented. The majority of surviving Kyoto screens, like this pair, separate the city into east and west. On the right screen, the eastern half of the city and the summer Gion festival dominate the street activity, while the left screen shows Nijō Castle and the city’s western half.

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

Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015