unsigned; hilly landscape with four figures, a shrine in red-orange, and grazing oxen; gold covers majority of surface and is applied in powdered form, flakes, and strips; slivers of silver also present

Scenes from the Tales of Saigyō [left of a pair], 17th century

expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

The Tales of Saigyō narrate the life of the eponymous samurai poet who gave up his title to become an itinerant monk. The story of Saigyō’s lifelong travels was first illustrated in the thirteenth century in a set of four painted handscrolls, and the scenes depicted here are based on those originals. The right screen depicts Saigyō’s first New Year after he took the tonsure. He appears alone in the leftmost panel, admiring the blossoms of a nearby plum tree. In the upper left of the left screen, Saigyō kneels before the wall of a shrine. On a journey through the rugged Kii Peninsula, Saigyō became so inspired by the cherry blossoms that he composed a poem and brushed it on the wall of a shrine. At lower right of the same screen, Saigyō parts ways with two monks he met on his journey.

Details
Title
Scenes from the Tales of Saigyō [left of a pair]
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.79.91.1
Catalogue Raisonne
Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 206
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

unsigned; hilly landscape with four figures, a shrine in red-orange, and grazing oxen; gold covers majority of surface and is applied in powdered form, flakes, and strips; slivers of silver also present