Myōe ( 明恵 ) (February 21, 1173 – February 11, 1232) was a Japanese Buddhist monk active during the Kamakura period who also went by the name Kōben ( Japanese : 高弁 , Chinese: 高辨, Gāo Biàn). He was a contemporary of Jōkei and Hōnen .
117-722: The Kegon Engi Emaki ( 華厳縁起 ) or Kegon-shū Sōshi Eden ( 華厳宗祖師絵伝 ) ("Illuminated scrolls from the founders of the Kegon Sect"; also translated as "Illustrated Legends of the Kegon Patriarchs", "Legends of the Kegon Sect" or "Scrolls of the Founding of the Kegon Sect") is an emakimono or emaki (painted narrative handscroll) from the beginning of the 13th century, in the Kamakura period of Japanese history (1185–1333). An illuminated manuscript , it narrates in six paper scrolls
234-552: A Japanese narrative style that transcribes chronicles and legends about the founding of Buddhist temples; as for the term "eden" (part of Kegon-shū Sōshi Eden ), it designates the biographies of famous monks. Several other works, the best known of which are the Ippen Shōnin Eden (on the life of the monk Ippen , founder of the [[[Ji-shū]] [ fr ; ja ] ] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) branch of Pure Land Buddhism) or
351-593: A big role, in particular the emakimono with accounts of the foundation of temples or the lives of famous monks. The old schools in vogue during the Nara period , including the Kegon school ( Kegon-shū ), also experienced a resurgence of interest. The Kegon Engi Emaki was created, during the golden age of emakimono (the 12th and 13th centuries), in that context. The term "engi" (as in Kegon Engi Emaki ) designates
468-476: A cinematic narrative rhythm. As for the texts, they are very brief and indicate the words or actions of the characters; their purpose could have been to be read aloud during sessions of explanation of the scrolls to the faithful. Still unusual at the time, the characters' lyrics were sometimes calligraphed just above them, very loosely and in Japanese characters ( kana ). Art historians have traditionally attributed
585-672: A doctrine, or even as an act of faith, because copying illustrated sutras must allow communion with the deities (a theory even accredits the idea that the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki would have aimed to pacify evil spirits). Proselytising, favoured by the emergence of the Pure Land Buddhist sects during the Kamakura era, changed the methods of emakimono production, because works of proselytism were intended to be copied and disseminated widely in many associated temples, explaining
702-482: A group of memorial stones erected by Myōe's disciple Kikai shortly after Myōe's death. A total of seven cenotaphs were constructed, one at the place of his birth, and the other six at locations in Kii Province where he had trained. Originally made of stone, they were replaced by sandstone in 1345. Each is made of sandstone, from 1.5 to 1.7 meters high, with a capstone. Four are located in the town of Aridagawa , two in
819-587: A lesser extent, in Korea , the main sources of Japanese artistic inspiration until modern times. Narrative art forms in China can be traced back to between the 3rd century CE under the Han dynasty and the 2nd century CE under the Zhou dynasty , the pottery of which was adorned with hunting scenes juxtaposed with movements. Paper was invented in China in about the 1st century CE, simplifying
936-526: A monk of various schools through much of his career. However, at the age of 21, he refused a request to participate in a national debate on the various schools of Buddhism, and at the age of 23 he broke off all ties with secular society and sought solitude in the mountains of Arida District in Kii Province , leaving behind a waka poem expressing his disgust for the politics of the various schools of Buddhism. Around this time, he cut off his right ear with
1053-565: A monk, remains remarkable for its influences, so far rare, from the Song dynasty (via the wash technique ) and the Tang dynasty (the shan shui style), as well as by its very precise representations of forts in many Japanese landscapes. As for the Saigyō Monogatari Emaki [ fr ] , it addresses the declining aristocracy in idealising the figure of the monk aesthete Saigyō by
1170-596: A more "professional" and successful technique. The art historians consider that the composition and painting techniques they see in the masterpieces of the late Heian period (second half of the 12th century) were already very mature. If almost all emakimono belong to the genre of yamato-e , several sub-genres stand out within this style, including in the Heian period onna-e ("women's painting") and otoko-e ("men's painting"). Several classic scrolls of each genre perfectly represent these pictorial movements. First,
1287-491: A phase when Chinese techniques were copied, the art of the Japanese archipelago became progressively more delicate, lyrical, decorative with less powerful but more colorful compositions. Nevertheless, it was especially in secular art that the nascent yamato-e was felt most strongly; its origins went back to the sliding partitions and screens of the Heian Imperial Palace , covered with paintings on paper or silk,
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#17328521466621404-422: A pictorial style characteristic of Kamakura art, marked by a certain realism and a proximity to humanity. While legend may have attributed the work in the past to Fujiwara no Nobuzane , it is much more likely that the author, or one of the authors, was Myōe 's favorite painter, Enichibō Jōnin [ fr ] , also known for his murals; for Mason and Dinwiddie, Jōnin 's style is especially evident in
1521-412: A point of view that reflects the narration, and to create a rhythm that best expresses the feelings and emotions of the moment. In general, there are thus two main categories of emakimono : those which alternate the calligraphy and the image, each new painting illustrating the preceding text, and those which present continuous paintings, not interrupted by the text, where various technical measures allow
1638-668: A razor as a symbol of his rejection with society. At around the age of 26, he moved to Yamashiro Province , but after short time he returned to Kii Province where he spent the next eight years, living a nomadic existence. Myōe sought twice to go to India, in 1203 and 1205, to study what he considered true Buddhism amidst the perceived decline of the Dharma, but on both occasions, the kami of the Kasuga-taisha urged him to remain in Japan through oracle . In 1206, he served as abbot of Kōzan-ji (高山寺),
1755-518: A school he founded in honour of his father Fujiwara no Takanobu ). Among the temple workshops, it is known that the Kōzan-ji workshop was particularly prolific, under the leadership of the monk Myōe , a great scholar who brought in many works from Song dynasty China. Thus, the Jōnin brushstrokes on the Kegon Engi Emaki or the portrait of Myōe reveal the first Song influences in Japanese painting. However,
1872-466: A special insight into the society and culture of the Kamakura period. Some historians also the link the work with the Jōkyū War (1221), during which Myōe protected ladies of the court; the legend of Zenmyō could have been a springboard to convert them to Kegon Buddhism by providing them with a model of a virtuous woman. In 1223, Myōe erected Zenmyō-ji , a temple in her honour near Kyoto. Nowadays,
1989-756: A temple of the Kegon school located near Kyoto , where he sought to unify the teachings of the various schools of Buddhism around the Avatamsaka Sutra . Myōe is perhaps most famous for his contributions to the practice and popularization of the Mantra of Light , a mantra associated with Shingon Buddhism but widely used in other Buddhist sects. Myōe is also well known for keeping a journal of his dreams for over 40 years—which continues to be studied by Buddhists and Buddhist scholars—and for his efforts to revive monastic discipline along with Jōkei . Myōe also strove to find ways to make
2106-586: A temple, and the religious scrolls do not refrain from representing popular things. So, for example, the Hōnen Shōnin Eden [ fr ] presents a rich overview of medieval civilization. Colophons and comparative studies sometimes allow for the deduction of the name of the artist of an emakimono : for example, the monk En'i [ fr ] signed the Ippen Shōnin Eden , historians designate Tokiwa Mitsunaga [ fr ] as
2223-456: A very different style from that of this work, it foreshadows the golden age of the movement that came four centuries later, from the 12th century CE onwards. The Heian period appears today as a peak of Japanese civilization via the culture of the emperor's court, although intrigue and disinterest in things of the state resulted in the Genpei War . This perception arises from the aesthetics and
2340-463: Is also related at the beginning. The artist tells in particular how Gengyō obtains the Vajrasamddhi ( Kongō sanmai kyō ) sutra from the king of the seas in order to save the seriously ill queen. Several specialists have stressed the importance of the didactic aspect of the scroll: the teaching of the legend of the founding of the temple should remain central in the analysis of the content. Indeed,
2457-599: Is harmful. I feel this way about writing the Zaijarin." In the later years of his life, Myōe wrote extensively on the meaning and application of the Mantra of Light. Myōe's interpretation of the Mantra of Light was somewhat unorthodox, in that he promoted the mantra as a means of being reborn in Sukhāvatī , the pure land of Amitābha , rather than a practice for attaining enlightenment in this life as taught by Kūkai and others. Myōe
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#17328521466622574-469: Is made up of the kanji e ( 絵 , "painting") , maki ( 巻 , "scroll" or "book") and mono ( 物 , "thing") . The term refers to long scrolls of painted paper or silk, which range in length from under a metre to several metres long; some are reported as measuring up to 12 metres (40 ft) in length. The scrolls tell a story or a succession of anecdotes (such as literary chronicles or Buddhist parables), combining pictorial and narrative elements,
2691-506: Is sometimes decorated with elaborate patterns. An emakimono can consist of several successive scrolls as required of the story – the Hōnen Shōnin Eden [ fr ] was made up of 48 scrolls, although the standard number typically falls between one and three. An emakimono is made up of two elements: the sections of calligraphic text known as kotoba-gaki , and the sections of paintings referred to as e ; their size, arrangement and number vary greatly, depending on
2808-468: The Ban Dainagon Ekotoba tells of a political conspiracy in the year 866 by offering a surprising mixture of the two genres onna-e and otoko-e , with free lines and sometimes light, sometimes rich and opaque colors; this meeting of genres foreshadows the style that dominated a few decades later, during the Kamakura period . While the authority of the court rapidly declined, the end of
2925-578: The Dōjō-ji Engi Emaki [ fr ] (16th century). On the other hand, the innovative and more spiritual influences of Chinese Song art , deeply rooted in spirituality and Zen Buddhism, initiated the dominant artistic movement of wash (ink or monochromatic painting in water, sumi-e or suiboku-ga in Japanese) in the ensuing Muromachi period , guided by such famous artists as Tenshō Shūbun or Sesshū Tōyō . A professional current
3042-482: The Genji Monogatari Emaki (designed between around 1120 and 1140), illustrating the famous eponymous novel, narrates the political and amorous intrigues of Prince Hikaru Genji ; the rich and opaque colors affixed over the entire surface of the paper ( tsukuri-e method), the intimacy and melancholy of the composition and finally the illustration of the emotional peaks of the novel taking place only inside
3159-468: The Hōnen Shōnin Eden [ fr ] (on Hōnen , the founder of Pure Land in Japan), tackle a similar theme. However, the genre of romance, important in the first part of the Kegon Engi Emaki , can also be emphasized. The emakimono , divided into two parts, narrates the legend of the lives of two Korean Buddhist monks who established the Kegon sect in the 7th century in their country (then
3276-644: The Ishiyama-dera Engi Emaki [ fr ] (1497), the Seikō-ji Engi emaki [ fr ] (1487) or a version of the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki (1503); he paid great attention to details and colours, despite a common composition. In a more general way, the illustration of novels in the classic yamato-e style (such as the many versions of the Genji Monogatari Emaki or The Tales of Ise Emaki ) persisted during late medieval times. If emakimono therefore ceased to be
3393-457: The Zuijin Teiki Emaki attributed to Fujiwara no Nobuzane , directly present portrait galleries according to the iconographic techniques of the time. A similar change was felt in religion as the esoteric Buddhist sects of the Heian era ( Tendai and Shingon ) gave way to Pure Land Buddhism ( Jōdo ), which primarily addressed the people by preaching simple practices of devotion to
3510-516: The Kegon Engi Emaki were done at the Kōzan-ji temple not far from Kyoto, supposedly under the aegis of Myōe (also known as Kōben ), a monk who had long studied Kegon Buddhism (at the Tōdai-ji of Nara , centre of the school in Japan) before rehabilitating the Kōzan-ji temple. If that hypothesis as to patronage is accurate, Myōe would also have been the author of the calligraphy texts in
3627-584: The Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki or the Ippen Shōnin Eden . As for the workshops of the court, they satisfied the orders of the palace, whether for the illustration of novels or historical chronicles, such as the Heiji Monogatari Emaki . A form of exploitation of the story could also motivate the sponsor: for example, Heiji Monogatari Emaki were produced for the Minamoto clan (winner of
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3744-411: The emakimono artists of the ensuing Kamakura period to engage in sustained production in all of the themes. The era covering the end of the Heian period and much of the Kamakura period , or the 12th and 13th centuries, is commonly described by art historians as "the golden age" of the art of emakimono . Under the impetus of the new warrior class in power, and the new Buddhist sects, production
3861-708: The emakimono is listed in the Register of National Treasures of Japan and is exhibited at the National Museums in Kyoto (the Gishō portion) and Tokyo (the Gengyō portion), after being stored for a long time by the Kōzan-ji; several scenes remain among the most representative of this art. However, the work has survived in a fragmentary way and some sections are missing; the reconstruction of
3978-407: The emakimono , drawing inspiration from older Chinese stories. KL Brock suggests, however, that the Gishō scrolls may have been commissioned by Lady Sanmi, a noblewoman then close to the Kōzan-ji , and the Gengyō scrolls by her friends (but with Myōe as the main supervisor). Although the date of creation and the author remain subject to interpretation, it seems clear that the scrolls approach
4095-412: The yamato-e style, characterized by its subjects from Japanese life and landscapes, the staging of the human, and an emphasis on rich colours and a decorative appearance. The format of the emakimono , long scrolls of limited height, requires the solving of all kinds of composition problems: it is first necessary to make the transitions between the different scenes that accompany the story, to choose
4212-456: The Amida Buddha . These very active sects used emakimono intensively during the 13th and 14th centuries to illustrate and disseminate their doctrines. Several religious practices influenced the Kamakura emakimono : notably, public sermons and picture explaining sessions ( 絵解 , e-toki ) led the artists to use scrolls of larger size than usual, and to represent the protagonists of
4329-512: The Buddhist legend of the founding of the Kegon school in Korea, and the lives of its two founding monks Gishō and Gengyō . An emakimono consists of one or more long rolls of paper narrating a story through yamato-e texts and paintings. The reader discovers the story by progressively unrolling the scroll with one hand while rewinding it with the other hand, from right to left (according to
4446-508: The Genpei War ), and the Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba was created to extol the deeds of a samurai in search of recognition from the shōgun . These works were, it seems, intended to be read by nobles. Nevertheless, Seckel and Hasé assert that the separation between the secular and the religious remains unclear and undoubtedly does not correspond to an explicit practice: thus, the aristocrats regularly ordered emakimono to offer them to
4563-472: The Imperial Palace are characteristics of the onna-e subgenre of yamato-e , reserved for court narratives usually written by aristocratic ladies. In that scroll, each painting illustrates a key episode of the novel and is followed by a calligraphic extract on paper richly decorated with gold and silver powder. The Genji Monogatari Emaki already presents the composition techniques specific to
4680-463: The Song dynasty . Relations with East Asia (mainly China and Korea) brought Chinese writing ( kanji ) to Japan by the 4th century, and Buddhism in the 6th century, together with interest in the apparently very effective bureaucracy of the mighty Chinese Empire . In the Nara period , the Japanese were inspired by the Tang dynasty : administration, architecture, dress customs or ceremonies. The exchanges between China and Japan were also fruitful for
4797-564: The "emergence of national taste" as a truly Japanese culture departed for the first time from Chinese influence since the early Kofun period . This development was first observed in the literature of the Heian women: unlike the men, who studied Chinese writing from a young age, the women adopted a new syllabary , hiragana , which was simpler and more consistent with the phonetics of Japanese. Heian period novels ( monogatari ) and diaries ( nikki ) recorded intimate details about life, love affairs and intrigues at court as they developed;
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4914-494: The 10th century in the Heian imperial court , especially among aristocratic ladies with refined and reclusive lives, who devoted themselves to the arts, poetry, painting, calligraphy and literature. However, no emakimono remain from the Heian period, and the oldest masterpieces date back to the "golden age" of emakimono in the 12th and 13th centuries. During this period, the techniques of composition became highly accomplished, and
5031-400: The 12th century), with dynamic and free lines, light colors and a decidedly popular and humorous tone, perfectly illustrate this movement, not hesitating to depict the life of the Japanese people in its most insignificant details. Here, the color is applied only in light touches that leave the paper bare, as the supple and free line dominates the composition, unlike the constructed paintings of
5148-445: The 9th century and tragic figure in Japanese history, revered in the manner of a god ( kami ). The rich colours, the tense contours, the search for movement and the very realistic details of the faces well illustrate this mixture of styles, especially as the paintings drew their inspiration from both Buddhism and Shinto . The realistic trends that were in vogue in Kamakura art, perfectly embodied by sculpture , were exposed in
5265-677: The Circle of Heresy—Elaboration" ) that sought to refute Honen's teachings as laid out in the Senchakushū . Myōe agreed with Hōnen's criticism of the establishment, but felt that sole practice of the nembutsu was too restrictive and disregarded important Buddhist themes in Mahayana Buddhism such as the Bodhicitta and the concept of upāya . Nevertheless, Myōe also lamented the necessity of writing such treatises: "By nature I am pained by that which
5382-553: The Gengyō portion. Comparative and historical studies have enabled KL Brock to put forward two possible dates of creation of the work: between 1218 and 1223 for the Gishō scrolls, and in the 1220s or 1230 for the Gengyō scrolls. The Kegon Engi Emaki is an example of the Yamato-e style, and demonstrates the evolution of painting in the Kamakura period. Indeed, the Kamakura samurai valued more realistic and dynamic narratives (historical and religious). However, scholars assume that
5499-511: The Heian period (in 1185) was marked by the advent of the provincial lords (in particular, the Taira and the Minamoto ), who acquired great power at the top of the state. Exploiting the unrest associated with the Genpei War , which provided fertile ground for religious proselytism, the six realms (or destinies [ fr ] ) Buddhist paintings ( rokudō-e ) – such as the Hell Scroll or
5616-565: The Heian period onwards, emakimono came to be dissociated from China, mainly in their themes. Chinese scrolls were intended mainly to illustrate the transcendent principles of Buddhism and the serenity of the landscapes, suggesting the grandeur and the spirituality. The Japanese, on the other hand, had refocused their scrolls on everyday life and man, conveying drama, humour and feelings. Thus, emakimono began to be inspired by literature, poetry, nature and especially everyday life; in short, they formed an intimate art, sometimes in opposition to
5733-675: The Nara period: the Illustrated Sutra of Cause and Effect [ fr ] , which traces the life of the Gautama Buddha , founder of the Buddhist religion, until his Illumination. Still naive in style ( Six Dynasties and early Tang dynasty) with the paintings arranged in friezes above the text, it is very likely a copy of an older Chinese model, several versions of which have been identified. Although subsequent classical emakimono feature
5850-563: The Sanskrit Siddhaṃ script . Similar styles were utilized by Shinran and Nichiren . The particular style of mandala he devised, and the devotional rituals surrounding it, are recorded in his treatise, the Sanji Raishaku ( "Thrice-daily worship" ) written in 1215. In 1231, he was invited by the Yuasa clan to open the temple of Semui-ji in his hometown in Kii Province. The day following
5967-617: The aristocracy and members of the high clergy. Handscrolls are believed to have been invented in India before the 4th century CE. They were used for religious texts and entered China by the 1st century. Handscrolls were introduced to Japan centuries later through the spread of Buddhism. The earliest extant Japanese handscroll was created in the 8th century and focuses on the life of the Buddha. The origins of Japanese handscrolls can be found in China and, to
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#17328521466626084-621: The art of emakimono : an oblique point of view, the movement of the eyes guided by long diagonals from the top right to the bottom left, and even the removal of the roofs to represent the interior of buildings ( fukinuki yatai ). A second notable example of the onna-e paintings in the Heian period is the Nezame Monogatari Emaki , which appears to be very similar to the Genji Monogatari Emaki , but presents softer and more decorative paintings giving pride of place to
6201-409: The arts, mainly religious arts, and the artists of the Japanese archipelago were eager to copy and appropriate continental techniques. In that context, experts assume that the first Chinese painted scrolls arrived on the islands around the 6th century CE, and probably correspond to illustrated sutra. Thus, the oldest known Japanese narrative painted scroll (or emakimono ) dates from the 7th century to
6318-598: The author of the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba and the Nenjū Gyōji Emaki [ fr ] , or Enichibō Jōnin [ fr ] for part of the Kegon Engi Emaki . Nevertheless, the life of these artists remains poorly known, at most they seem to be of noble extraction. Such a background is particularly implied by the always very precise depictions in emakimono of the imperial palace (interior architecture, clothing and rituals) or official bodies (notably
6435-480: The beauty of its landscapes and its calligraphic poetry. Towards the middle of the Kamakura period, there was a revival of interest in the Heian court, which already appeared to be a peak of Japanese civilization, and its refined culture. Thus the Murasaki Shikibu Nikki Emaki , which traces the life and intrigues of Murasaki Shikibu , author of The Tale of Genji (10th century), largely reflects
6552-545: The best known of these is the radical Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu , lady-in-waiting of the 10th century Imperial Court. The beginnings of the Japanese-inspired Heian period painting technique, retrospectively named yamato-e , can be found initially in some aspects of Buddhist painting of the new esoteric Tendai and Shingon sects, then more strongly in Pure Land Buddhism ( Jodō ); after
6669-456: The blood stain can still be seen at the temple to this day. Records for the time show that the daily regimen of practices for the monks at Kōzan-ji, during Myoe's administration, included zazen meditation, recitation of the sutras and the Mantra of Light . These same records show that even details such as cleaning the bathroom regularly were routinely enforced. A wooden tablet titled Arubekiyōwa ( 阿留辺畿夜宇和 , "As Appropriate") still hangs in
6786-407: The canons of the emakimono of the day, with long sections of continuous paintings contextualised by short sections of calligraphic text. The transitions between scenes in the paintings appear not very marked and convey an impression of movement, fluidity, as the reader unfolds the emakimono . In the third scroll, a succession of scenes alternately showing Zenmyō and the ship moving away creates
6903-539: The ceremony, on January 19, 1232, he died at the age of 58. In the wooden tablet at Kōzan-ji, Myōe listed the following regulations to all monks, divided into three sections: As Appropriate Etiquette in the Temple Study Hall Etiquette in the Buddha-Altar Hall — The Kegon School Shamon Kōben [Myoe] The Myōe Kishū Cenotaphs ( 明恵紀州遺跡率都婆 , Myōe Kishū iseki sotsu tōba ) are
7020-421: The classics of emakimono art: particularly that in which Zenmyō is transformed into a dragon carrying Gishō's boat on her back, the narrative summit of the third Gishō scroll. The treatment of the water, depicted as fine wavelets in ink enhanced with light blue, the fiercer colours of the dragon and the frail human beings give the whole a "remarkable sense of drama". The composition of the work follows most of
7137-429: The codified and refined art of living that developed at the Heian court, as well as a certain restraint and melancholy born from the feeling of the impermanence of things (a state of mind referred to as mono no aware in Japanese). Furthermore, the rupture of relations with China until the 9th century, due to disorders related to the collapse of the glorious Tang dynasty , promoted what Miyeko Murase has described as
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#17328521466627254-423: The combination of which characterises the dominant art movements in Japan between the 12th and 14th centuries. An emakimono is read, according to the traditional method, sitting on a mat with the scroll placed on a low table or on the floor. The reader then unwinds with one hand while rewinding it with the other hand, from right to left (according to the writing direction of Japanese). In this way, only part of
7371-446: The construction of a story, so the composition must be based on the transitions from scene to scene until the final denouement. Emakimono were initially strongly influenced by China, as were the Japanese arts of the time; the Illustrated Sutra of Cause and Effect [ fr ] incorporates many of the naive, simple styles of the Tang dynasty , although dissonances can be discerned, especially in relation to colours. From
7488-462: The court. In addition, the text occupies very limited space, the artist painting rather long scenes without fixed limits. Two other masterpieces emerged into the light of day during the second half of the 12th century. First, the Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga forms a monochrome sketch in ink gently caricaturing the customs of Buddhist monks, where the spontaneity of touch stands out. Secondly,
7605-428: The court. Monks were also able to produce paintings without any patronage. Secondly, in medieval Japan there were professional painters' workshops [ fr ] ( 絵 所 , literally 'painting office' ) ; during the Kamakura period, professional production dominated greatly, and several categories of workshops were distinguished: those officially attached to the palace ( kyūtei edokoro ), those attached to
7722-511: The creativity of classical scrolls is felt even less in otogi-zōshi , because even though the composition is similar, the lack of harmony of colors and the overloaded appearance are detrimental; it seems that the production is often the work of amateurs. However, a field of study of nara-ehon and the nara-e pictorial style exists on the fringes and stands out from the framework of emakimono . Various other artists, notably Tawaraya Sōtatsu and Yosa Buson , were still interested in
7839-427: The crucial lack of information and documents on these rare known artists leads Japanese art historians rather to identify styles, workshops, and schools of production. My%C5%8De Myōe was born in what is now the town of Aridagawa, Wakayama . His mother was the fourth daughter of Yuasa Muneshige, a local strongman who claimed descent from Taira no Shigekuni, and from thence Emperor Takakura . His childhood name
7956-646: The dominant artistic media in Japan since the end of the Kamakura period, it is in the illustration movement of Otogi-zōshi ( otogi meaning "to tell stories") that emakimono developed a new popular vigour in the 15th and 16th centuries (the Muromachi period); the term nara-ehon (literally, "the book of illustrations of Nara ") sometimes designated them in a controversial way (because they were anachronistic and combined books with scrolls), or more precisely as otogi-zōshi emaki or nara-emaki . These are small, symbolic and funny tales, intended to pass
8073-419: The first scroll, Gengyō gives up from the start, convinced in a dream that he must seek salvation in himself, and the two friends separate. The following three scrolls are dedicated to the legend of Gishō and Zenmyō (Shan-miao), a young Chinese girl who falls in love with him while he is on his pilgrimage to China. Gishō converts Zenmyō to Buddhism, then begins his return to his own country, to the great despair of
8190-404: The fluid transitions between the scenes. Today, emakimono offer a unique historical glimpse into the life and customs of Japanese people, of all social classes and all ages, during the early part of medieval times. Few of the scrolls have survived intact, and around 20 are protected as National Treasures of Japan . The term emakimono or e-makimono , often abbreviated as emaki ,
8307-400: The great temples and shrines ( jiin edokoro ), or finally those hosted by a few senior figures. The study of certain colophons and period texts makes it possible to associate many emakimono with these professional workshops, and even sometimes to understand how they function. When produced by the temple workshops, emakimono were intended mainly as proselytism, or to disseminate
8424-507: The imperial police ( 検非違使 , kebiishi ) ). The Shigisan Engi Emaki illustrates that point well, as the precision of both religious and aristocratic motifs suggests that the painter is close to those two worlds. Perhaps a more famous artist is Fujiwara no Nobuzane , aristocrat of the Fujiwara clan and author of the Zuijin Teiki Emaki , as well as various suites of realistic portraits ("likeness pictures" ( 似絵 , nise-e ) ,
8541-525: The initiators of the classical emakimono , are to be found at the emperor's court in Heian, among the aristocrats versed in the various arts. Period sources mention in particular painting competitions ( e-awase ) where the nobles competed around a common theme from a poem, as described by Murasaki Shikibu in The Tale of Genji . Their work seems to focus more on the illustration of novels ( monogatari ) and diaries ( nikki ), rather feminine literature of
8658-447: The kingdom of Silla , or Shiragi in Japanese) after several pilgrimages to China: Gishō (Uisang) and Gengyō (Wonhyo). Today, the work consists of six paper scrolls, approximately 31 cm (12 in) high and about 81.95 m (268.9 ft) in total length. Four are dedicated to Gishō and two to Gengyō. Gishō and Gengyō are two humble monks who plan to go to China to complete their learning of Buddhism. However, and as depicted in
8775-412: The ladies of the court. In addition, the initial themes remained close to waka poetry (seasons, Buddhism, nature and other themes). Therefore, the slow maturation of the movement of emakimono was closely linked to the emergence of Japanese culture and literature, as well as to the interest of ladies soon joined by professional painters from palace workshops ( e-dokoro ) or temples, who created
8892-413: The large number of more or less similar copies on the lives of great monks and the founding of the important temples. Various historians emphasise the use of emakimono in sessions of picture explaining ( 絵 解 , e-toki ) , during which a learned monk detailed the contents of the scrolls to a popular audience. Specialists thus explicate the unusually large dimensions of the different versions of
9009-515: The lightness of the tones ( otoko-e ), as well as bright colors rendered by thick pigments for certain elements of the scenes ( onna-e ). However, the very refined appearance of the court paintings later gave way to more dynamic and popular works, at least in relation to the theme, in the manner of the Shigisan Engi Emaki . For example, the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki recounts the life and death of Sugawara no Michizane , Minister in
9126-568: The mainland which probably inspired the studio of monk-painters associated with the temple. Another, more didactic, work on the teachings of the sect (including the Kegon sutra, known as Kegonkyō in Japanese, and Avatamsaka Sutra in Sanskrit), is the Kegon Gojūgosho Emaki (13th century), similarly influenced by the Song school. Several of the scenes in the Kegon Engi Emaki are among
9243-501: The majority of the Kamakura emakimono ; indeed, the bakufu shogunate system held power over Japan, and the refined and codified art of the court gave way to more fluidity and dynamism. The greater simplicity advocated in the arts led to a more realistic and human representation (anger, pain or size). If the activity related to religion was prolific, then so too were the orders of the bushi (noble warriors). Several emakimono of historical or military chronicles are among
9360-660: The most famous, notably the Hōgen Monogatari Emaki [ fr ] (no longer extant) and the Heiji Monogatari Emaki ; of the latter, the scroll kept at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston remains highly regarded for its mastery of composition (which reaches a crescendo at the dramatic climax of the scroll, i.e. the burning of the palace and the bloody battle between foot soldiers), and for its contribution to present day understanding of Japanese medieval weapons and armour. Akiyama Terukazu describes it as "a masterpiece on
9477-434: The names of the "masters" of emakimono . Moreover, a scroll can be the fruit of collaboration by several artists; some techniques such as tsukuri-e even naturally incline to such collaboration. Art historians are more interested in determining the social and artistic environment of painters: amateurs or professionals, at court or in temples, aristocrats or of modest birth. In the first place, amateur painters, perhaps
9594-462: The narrative scroll until around the 17th century. The Kanō school used narrative scrolls in the same way; Kanō Tan'yū realised several scrolls on the Tokugawa battles, particularly that of Sekigahara in his Tōshō Daigongen Engi , where he was inspired in places by the Heiji Monogatari Emaki (13th century). In essence, an emakimono is a narrative system (like a book) that requires
9711-651: The nobles, did not fit well with painting of Chinese sensibility, so much so that court artists developed to a certain extent a new national technique which appeared to be fashionable in the 11th century, for example in the seasonal landscapes of the panel paintings in the Phoenix Hall ( 鳳凰堂 , Hōō-dō ) or Amida Hall at the Byōdō-in temple, a masterpiece of primitive yamato-e of the early 11th century. Experts believe that yamato-e illustrations of novels and painted narrative scrolls, or emakimono , developed in
9828-548: The northeast corner of the Sekisui'in Hall at Kōzan-ji detailing various regulations. At the same time, Myōe was also pragmatic and often adopted practices from other Buddhist sects, notably Zen, if it proved useful. Myōe firmly believed in the importance of upāya and sought to provide a diverse set of practices for both monastics and lay people. In addition, he developed new forms of mandalas that utilized only Japanese calligraphy and
9945-524: The oldest emakimono illustrating a novel mentioned in period sources is that of the Yamato Monogatari , offered to the Empress between 872 and 907. However, the stylistic mastery of later works (from the 12th century) leads most experts to believe that the "classical" art of emakimono grew during this period from the 10th century, first appearing in illustrations in novels or diaries produced by
10062-493: The one hand, emakimono had become less inspired, marked by an extreme aesthetic mannerism (such as the exaggerated use of gold and silver powder) with a composition more technical than creative; the tendency to multiply the scenes in a fixed style can be seen in the Hōnen Shōnin Eden [ fr ] (the longest known emakimono , with 48 scrolls, completed in 1307), the Kasuga Gongen Genki E (1309) and
10179-561: The original scrolls has given rise to numerous studies, the most important of which is that of KL Brock in 1984. [REDACTED] Media related to Kegon Engi Emaki at Wikimedia Commons Emakimono Illustrated handscrolls , emakimono ( 絵巻物 , lit. ' illustrated scroll ' , also emaki-mono ) , or emaki ( 絵巻 ) is an illustrated horizontal narration system of painted handscrolls that dates back to Nara-period (710–794 CE) Japan . Initially copying their much older Chinese counterparts in style, during
10296-511: The painting techniques of the time, notably the tsukuri-e , but in a more decorative and extroverted style. Other works followed that trend, such as Ise Monogatari Emaki , the Makura no Sōshi Emaki [ fr ] or the Sumiyoshi Monogatari Emaki . By the end of the Kamakura period, the art of emakimono was already losing its importance. Experts note that, on
10413-552: The period and the artist. In emakimono inspired by literature, the text occupies no less than two-thirds of the space, while other more popular works, such as the Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga , favour the image, sometimes to the point of making the text disappear. The scrolls have a limited height (on average between 30 cm (12 in) and 39 cm (15 in)), compared with their length (on average 9 m (30 ft) to 12 m (39 ft)), meaning that emakimono are therefore limited to being read alone, historically by
10530-464: The representation of nature subtly emphasising the feelings of the characters. In contrast with court paintings inspired by women's novels ( onna-e ) there are other scrolls inspired by themes such as the daily lives of the people, historical chronicles, and the biographies of famous monks; ultimately, a style of emakimono depicting matters outside the palace and called otoko-e ("men's painting"). The Shigisan Engi Emaki (middle of
10647-421: The rest of the journey to Korea. There the boat turns into a mountain on which a temple is erected and Zenmyō has since been revered as the patron goddess of the Kegon sect. This dramatic story is famous in Japan and several collections of legends relate it. The other scrolls are dedicated to Gengyō and therefore take place in Korea (the kingdom of Silla), although the separation of Gishō and Gengyō from each other
10764-589: The rise of the warrior class (the samurai ); the latter put into the spotlight a realistic, less mannered and esoteric, aristocratic culture (the Zen school also appeared at that time). In addition, from these social disturbances a fertile ground for Buddhist proselytism was born, as several new schools, mainly from the Pure Land ( jōdo ) tradition, appeared in Japan. Plastic iconography remained important for transmitting religious doctrines, so much so that painting played
10881-422: The search for Chinese spiritual greatness. The first Japanese themes in the Heian period were very closely linked to waka literature and poetry: paintings of the seasons, the annual calendar of ceremonies, the countryside and finally the famous landscapes of the Japanese archipelago ( meisho-e [ fr ] ). Subsequently, the Kamakura warriors and the new Pure Land Buddhist sects diversified
10998-429: The separate accounts of the lives of the two monks illustrate in a simple way the ways of enlightenment advocated by the Kegon school: in the case of Gengyō, the dream that initiates the search for the purity of the spirit by removing it from earthly constraints, and in the case of Gishō the pilgrimage for learning the dharma. These simple answers reflect the new thoughts of society in the Kamakura period. The paintings in
11115-470: The story as seen fit. Emakimono are therefore a narrative genre similar to the book, developing romantic or epic stories, or illustrating religious texts and legends. Fully anchored in the yamato-e style, these Japanese works are above all an everyday art, centered on the human being and the sensations conveyed by the artist. Although the very first 8th-century emakimono were copies of Chinese works, emakimono of Japanese taste appeared from
11232-402: The story can be seen – about 60 centimetres (24 in), though more can be unrolled – and the artist creates a succession of images to construct the story. Once the emakimono has been read, the reader must rewind the scroll again in its original reading direction. The emakimono is kept closed by a cord and stored alone or with other rolls in a box intended for this purpose, and which
11349-434: The story in a somewhat disproportionate way compared with emakimono of the standard sizes, to enable those protagonists to be seen from a distance, in a typically Japanese non-realistic perspective (such as the Ippen Shōnin Eden ). The religious emakimono of the Kamakura period focus on the foundation of the temples, or the lives of famous monks. During that period, many of the religious institutions commissioned
11466-525: The subject of the world's military." In the same spirit, a noble warrior had the Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba designed to recount his military exploits during the Mongol invasions of Japan . Kamakura art particularly flourished in relation to realistic portraiture ( nise-e ); if the characters in the emakimono therefore evolved towards greater pictorial realism, some, such as the Sanjūrokkasen emaki , or
11583-610: The subjects even more widely. Despite the wide range of emakimono themes, specialists like to categorise them, both in substance and in form. An effective method of differentiating emakimono comes back to the study of the subjects by referring to the canons of the time. The categorisation proposed by Okudaira and Fukui thus distinguishes between secular and religious paintings: A third category covers more heterogeneous works, mixing religion and narration or religion and popular humour. The authors of emakimono are most often unknown nowadays and it remains risky to speculate as to
11700-404: The subjects were even more varied than before, dealing with history, religion, romances, and other famous tales. The patrons who sponsored the creation of these emakimono were above all the aristocrats and Buddhist temples. From the 14th century, the emakimono genre became more marginal, giving way to new movements born mainly from Zen Buddhism. Emakimono paintings mostly belong to
11817-504: The succeeding Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura periods (1185–1333), Japanese emakimono developed their own distinct style. The term therefore refers only to Japanese painted narrative scrolls. As in the Chinese and Korean scrolls, emakimono combine calligraphy and illustrations and are painted, drawn or stamped on long rolls of paper or silk sometimes measuring several metres. The reader unwinds each scroll little by little, revealing
11934-538: The supernatural (a number of otogi-zōshi emaki depict all sorts of yōkai and folk creatures), as well as social caricatures and popular novels. Among the preserved examples are genre paintings such as Buncho no sasshi and Sazare-ichi , or supernatural Buddhist tales such as the Tsuchigumo Sōshi or the Hyakki Yagyō Emaki [ fr ] . From the point of view of art historians,
12051-539: The teachings of esoteric Buddhism more understandable to lay people; on the other hand, during his lifetime he was a scathing critic of his contemporary, Hōnen , and the new Pure Land Buddhist movement . As a response to the increasing popularity of the exclusive nembutsu practice , Myōe wrote two treatises, the Zaijarin ( 摧邪輪 , "Breaking the Circle of Heresy" ) and the follow-up Zaijarin Shōgonki ( 摧邪輪荘厳記 , "Breaking
12168-470: The texts to Myōe himself, although disputes have since arisen, notably in relation to the Gengyō portion. As an everyday narrative art, emakimono usually provide a great deal of information on the life and history of medieval Japan. However, this work differs from others in that it is set in Korea and China, and instead depicts the clothing and architecture of the Tang dynasty . Through its treatment of its religious message and its style, it also offers
12285-427: The themes of which were chosen from waka court poetry, annual rites, seasons or the famous lives and landscapes of the archipelago ( meisho-e [ fr ] ). This secular art then spread among the nobles, especially the ladies interested in the illustration of novels, and seems to have become prevalent early in the 10th century. As with religious painting, the themes of Japanese life, appreciated by
12402-488: The then horizontal writing direction of Japanese script ), so that only a portion of text or image of about 60 cm (24 in) is visible. Originating in Japan in the sixth or seventh century through trade with the Chinese Empire , emakimono art spread widely among the aristocracy in the Heian period . Later, the advent of the Kamakura period was marked by internal strife and civil wars, which spread and favoured
12519-435: The time focusing on mythology, folklore, legends, religious beliefs or even contemporary society. This particular form of emakimono dates back to Heian times, but it was under Muromachi that it gained real popularity. The relative popularity of otogi-zōshi seems to have stemmed from a burgeoning lack of enthusiasm for hectic or religious stories; the people had become more responsive to themes of dreams, laughter and
12636-478: The two versions of the Gaki Zōshi [ fr ] , otoko-e paintings – aimed to frighten the faithful with horror scenes. Retracing the evolution of emakimono remains difficult, due to the few works that have survived. However, the obvious mastery of the classical scrolls of the end of the Heian period testifies to at least a century of maturation and pictorial research. These foundations permitted
12753-463: The vein of this secular art, linked to literature and poetry. The painting technique lent itself fully to the artistic tastes of the court in the 11th century, inclined to an emotional, melancholic and refined representation of relations within the palace, and formed a pictorial vector very suited to the narrative. Even though they are mentioned in the antique texts, no emakimono of the early Heian period (9th and 10th centuries) remains extant today;
12870-406: The work shows the first influences of Chinese Song painting in Japan (characterized by the wash technique), through the fine India ink lines and the pale colour which reveals the movements of the brush. This style of painting gives the whole emakimono a light and airy tone; it seems clear that Myōe , a scholar of Chinese spirituality, had brought in a large number of contemporary works from
12987-506: The workshops of painters (often monk-painters) to create emakimono recounting their foundation, or the biography of the founding monk. Among the best-known works on such themes are the illustrated biographies of Ippen , Hōnen [ fr ] , Shinran [ fr ] and Xuanzang , as well as the Kegon Engi Emaki and the Taima Mandara Engi Emaki [ fr ] . The Ippen biography, painted by
13104-414: The writing on scrolls of laws or sutra, sometimes decorated. The first narrative scrolls arrived later; various masters showed interest in this medium, including Gu Kaizhi (345–406), who experimented with new techniques. Genre painting and Chinese characters, dominant in the scrolls up to the 10th century CE, remain little known to this day, because they were overshadowed by the famous landscape scrolls of
13221-401: The young girl. Zenmyō, rushing to the port, arrives too late to offer him a farewell gift, and his boat disappears over the horizon; in despair, she throws the offering into the water which then follows the boat carrying her beloved. Struck by this miracle, she throws herself into the water, swearing to protect her beloved forever, and transforms into a dragon to carry Gishō's boat on her back for
13338-550: Was Yakushi-maru. Orphaned at the age of nine, he was educated at Jingo-ji north of Kyoto by a disciple of Mongaku and was ordained as a priest in 1188 at Tōdai-ji . He was trained in both the Kegon and Kusha schools and trained in Shingon at Ninna-ji . He later also studied Zen Buddhism under Eisai , all by the age of 20. In medieval Japan, it was not uncommon for monks to be ordained in multiple sectarian lineages, and Myōe alternately signed his treatises and correspondence as
13455-452: Was a firm believer in the notion of Dharma Decline and sought to promote the Mantra of Light as a means of intercession. Myōe was equally critical of the lax discipline and corruption of the Buddhist establishment, and removed himself from the capital of Kyoto as much as possible. At one point, to demonstrate his resolve to follow the Buddhist path, Myōe knelt before an image of the Buddha at Kōzan-ji , and cut off his own ear. Supposedly,
13572-410: Was indeed very sustained and the themes and techniques more varied than before. The emakimono style of the time was characterized by two aspects: the synthesis of the genres of yamato-e , and realism. Initially, the evolution marked previously by the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba (very late Heian era) was spreading very widely due to the importance given both to the freedom of brush strokes and
13689-512: Was nevertheless maintained by the Tosa school : the only one still to claim the yamato-e , it produced many emakimono to the order of the court or the temples (this school of painters led the imperial edokoro until the 18th century). Tosa Mitsunobu notably produced several works on the foundation of temples: the Kiyomizu-dera Engi Emaki [ fr ] (1517), a scroll of
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