Tale of Heiji picture scroll - Tale of Heiji picture scroll

A picture scroll from the mid-Kamakura period (late 13th century). It is an illustrated version of the Heiji Monogatari, a military tale based on the Heiji Rebellion (1159). Currently, three volumes, the Sanjo Palace Night Attack Scroll (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), Shinzei Scroll (Seikado, Tokyo, Important Cultural Property), and Rokuhara Imperial Visit Scroll (Tokyo National Museum, National Treasure), as well as the Rokuhara Battle Scroll, are in fragments and stored in various families. The Sanjo Palace Night Attack Scroll depicts the scene in which soldiers from Fujiwara Nobuyori and Minamoto Yoshitomo set fire to the Sanjo Palace palace of the retired Emperor Goshirakawa, and move the retired Emperor to the Imperial Palace and imprison him there. The Shinzei Scroll depicts the beheading of Shinzei (Fujiwara Michinori), who committed suicide while fleeing towards Nara, and the dragging of his head through the streets of the capital. The Rokuhara Imperial Visit Scroll depicts Emperor Nijō, who was imprisoned in the Imperial Palace, disguising himself as a lady-in-waiting and escaping to Kiyomori's residence in Rokuhara. The Rokuhara Battle Scroll depicts the Genji forces that attacked Kiyomori's Rokuhara residence only to be defeated, and Yoshitomo's retreat to the eastern provinces. These four scrolls share the same unique, trembling style of calligraphy in the kotobagaki (text) and are thought to have originally been part of a larger series of picture scrolls. The illustrations in each scroll are similar in style, but there are slight differences in the drawing techniques, suggesting that they were created by several artists of the same school. The composition of the picture is powerful and majestic, and the depiction of the group of figures and the accurate depiction of the armor are particularly noteworthy. The picture, with its orderly composition and vivid, deep colors, is considered to be the highlight of battle scrolls. In addition to this, copies of the Taikenmon Battle Scroll and the Tokiwa Scroll, which is of a different style, have been handed down.

[Yasushi Murashige]

"Shigemi Komatsu (ed.), "Complete Collection of Japanese Picture Scrolls 13: Illustrated Tale of the Heiji Era" (1977, Chuokoron-Shinsha) " "Takaaki Matsushita (ed.), "New Complete Collection of Japanese Picture Scrolls 10: Illustrated Scroll of the Heiji Era and Others" (1975, Kadokawa Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉中期（13世紀後半）の絵巻。平治の乱（1159）に取材した軍記物語『平治物語』を絵巻化したもの。現在、三条殿夜討(ようち)の巻（ボストン美術館）、信西(しんぜい)の巻（東京・静嘉(せいか)堂、重文）、六波羅(ろくはら)行幸の巻（東京国立博物館、国宝）の三巻と、六波羅合戦の巻が断簡となって諸家に分蔵されている。三条殿夜討の巻は、藤原信頼(のぶより)と源義朝(よしとも)の軍兵が後白河(ごしらかわ)上皇の御所三条殿に火を放ち、上皇を内裏(だいり)に移して幽閉する場面。信西の巻は、奈良方面へ逃亡の途中自害した信西（藤原通憲(みちのり)）の首を討ち取り、都大路を引き回すくだり。六波羅行幸の巻は、内裏に幽閉された二条(にじょう)天皇が女房に変装して脱出、六波羅の清盛(きよもり)邸に逃れる場面。六波羅合戦の巻は、清盛の六波羅邸に攻め込んだ源氏の軍勢がかえって敗退し、義朝は東国に落ちるくだりが描かれる。これら四巻は、詞書(ことばがき)の、独特のふるえを帯びた書風が一致し、もともと一連の大部の絵巻の一部と考えられる。絵も各巻の画風は近似するが、描法に多少の差違があり、同系統の何人かの画家によってつくられたものとみられる。画面の構成は力強く、雄渾(ゆうこん)で、とくに群像の表現、甲冑(かっちゅう)の正確な描写などにみるべきものがある。整然と整った構図と鮮やかな濃彩を駆使した画面は、合戦絵巻中の白眉(はくび)とされる。なおこのほか模本として、待賢門(たいけんもん)合戦の巻、および別系統の常盤(ときわ)の巻が伝存している。

［村重　寧］

『小松茂美編『日本絵巻大成13　平治物語絵詞』（1977・中央公論社）』▽『松下隆章編『新修日本絵巻物全集10　平治物語絵巻他』（1975・角川書店）』

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