The Battle of Yashima, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)

17th century

Not on view

Social upheaval and rivalries among military clans were hallmarks of the late Heian period (794–1185). A decades-long conflict between the Taira and Minamoto families over imperial dominance culminated in the Genpei War, a struggle recounted in The Tale of the Heike, compiled before 1330. At the naval Battle of Yashima in 1185, Minamoto warriors routed the Taira from their encampment by the Inland Sea. On the screen at right the young and unproven Minamoto archer Nasu no Yoichi rides his horse into the sea to shoot a distant battle fan bobbing in the prow of a Taira woman’s boat. Enmity gives way to admiration as both sides hail his remarkable achievement.

Artwork Details

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References

土佐派屋島合戦図屏風
Title: The Battle of Yashima, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)
Artist: Tosa School
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 17th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: One of a pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper
Dimensions: Image: 59 in. × 11 ft. 1 1/4 in. (149.9 × 338.5 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of General and Mrs. Hugh J. Casey, 1960
Object Number: 60.40
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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