The Sumida Hokusai Museum is pleased to present The Exhibition “The Courtly Hokusai: Heian Literature in Edo” from September 18 to November 24, 2024.
Term: 18 September (Wed.) – 24 November (Mon.) 2024
Open: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm (Last admission at 5 pm)
Closed: Closed on Mondays except September 23, October 14, November 4, and the following Tuesdays: September 24, October 15, November 5
The Sumida Hokusai Museum official website: https://hokusai-museum.jp/HokusaiHeianEN/
Exhibition Overview
Depictions of imperial court customs and literature flourished during the Edo period (1603-1867), in the context of research on the Heian period (794-1185) and education in the classics, a thriving publishing industry, and the widespread circulation of books. Hokusai and his students created many works that envisioned Murasaki Shikibu and other Heian-period figures and life in the imperial capital and that took their subjects from court literature, including The Tale of Genji and The Tales of Ise.
These artists went beyond simply turning scenes from tales into paintings or depicting the meanings of poems. They also created works that incorporate designs associated with court literature in kimonos and accessories.
This exhibition presents works related to the Heian period or court culture by Hokusai and his associates, Edo-period painters. It also introduces those artists‘ images of the Heian period and of the world of court literature, and their ramifications. Please enjoy the courtly grace of the Heian world alive and well in Edo.
Highlights of Each Section
During the Edo period, copies of classic literary works such as The Tale of Genji or The Tales of Ise and books explaining them circulated widely. With advances in scholarly research and education for the masses, the Kokin Wakashū Poetry Anthology and other collections of Heian-period poetry became generally available, and paintings of the poetic immortals became a popular theme. With classical literature and legends inspiring Kabuki and other forms of entertainment, people in Edo formed their own images of what life was like in Kyoto, back in the Heian period. Here we introduce works that present the background behind the formation of those Edo-period images of Heian.
Section 1: Formation of a Courtly Image
The courtly works that Hokusai and his colleagues creatly take events at the imperial court and everyday life in the capital as their themes. The capital was also where ideas and scholarship transmitted from the Asian mainland and Japan’s ancient beliefs and legends became connected. In this section, please observe how the lifestyles and culture of the Heian-period capital, and legends of ghosts, goblins, and the bizarre, were imagined and the resulting images widely shared.
Section 2: Court Literature Depicted
During the Edo period, court literature, including The Tale of Genji and The Tales of Ise, was depicted far and wide. Hokusai and his students were among those who took themes from Heian literature and created a wide range of works, each in his own style. In some, while the subject was taken from Heian court literature, the people were given Edo-period hairstyles and clothing, combining the traditional and the contemporary. This section presents a wealth of works by Hokusai and his students with court literature as their theme.
Section 3: Designs Related to Court Literature
Designs based on motifs associated with court literature or inspired by those tales were used on accessories. In work by Hokusai and his students, we can see motifs associated with The Tale of Genji and clothing and accessories decorated with motifs resembling poem cards. Some works also turned one scene from a tale into a design for accessories. Part 1 of this section presents works containing motifs associated with court literature. Part 2 introduces works in which a scene from one of those literary works is used as a design.
Term: 18 September (Wed.) – 24 November (Mon.) 2024
Open: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm (Last admission at 5 pm)
Closed: Closed on Mondays except September 23, October 14, November 4, and the following Tuesdays: September 24, October 15, November 5
The Sumida Hokusai Museum official website: https://hokusai-museum.jp/HokusaiHeianEN/
