Japanese Two-Panel Screen, Battle Scene from Heike Wars

Suiboku is a style of ink painting that is reminicent of the way calligraphers paint. Masterfully painted Muromachi Period (1336-1573) painting, unique in style and strength for the period with very bold lines. Sesshu Toyo...

Japanese Two Panel Screen: Mountain Landscape with Calligraphy. Late Edo (c. 1850) painting of a dramatic mountainside carved by a waterfall with a crane flying in the foreground an...

The Genpei War took place from 1180–1185, during which the Minamoto clan rebelled against the Taira clan for control of Japan. The two clans had a bitter rivalry for years, and the M...

Kano school painting of nobles at rest (some yawning) under moonlit sky. Mostly likely a representation of the last story in the Ise Monogatari: chapter 16, Sekiya (The Gatehouse). A...

Anonymous Late 17th Century Battle of Ichi-no-tani & Yashima Dimensions: Each Screen: H. 175 cm x W. 385 cm (69” x 151.5”) This pair of Japanese screens depict two significant battles from the Genpei War (1180–85), as recounted in the Tale of the Heike, a semi-historical epic chronicling the conflict between rival clans for control of Japan, written in the early 1200s. Each screen portrays a single battle through a series of small episodes, framed by gold clouds, landscape elements, and architectural features. True to the style of many screens inspired by The Tale of the Heike, the scenes are rendered in lavish colors and gold, downplaying the brutality of the warfare. Although based on real events, these narratives often glorified and romanticized the heroic feats of the warriors. Viewers at the time would have been familiar with the story’s details, leading to a proliferation of paintings on folding screens inspired by this theme from the late Muromachi to the early Edo periods. On the right screen, we see the Minamoto’s attack on the Taira, who have retreated from the capital, Kyoto, toward the sea. The central building represents the temporary Taira headquarters, where Taira soldiers are holding the young Emperor Antoku. The Minamoto plan to launch a surprise attack from the rear after descending the steep cliff known as Ichi-no-tani, depicted at the top center. This scene highlights the tactical brilliance of Minamoto commander Yoshitsune and the courage of his men. The left screen captures moments from the Battle of Yashima...

Late 19th / early 20th century Japanese Meiji period two-panel folding byobu screen featuring a winter landscape with a Chinese country villa and distant village. Kano School screen ...

A refined medium-sized six-panel byôbu (folding screen) showcasing a classical autumn court scene from chapter 7 of The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari), titled Momiji no Ga (The Aut...

Monumental pair of late 18th century Japanese Edo/Tokugawa period byobu screens depicting the battles between Taira and Minamoto. The screens have six panels each with individual sce...