Scene from the Tales of the Heike (Heike monogatari 平家物語絵),

17th century

The Tale of Heike is a famous account of a twelfth-century battle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan. These two album leaves, executed in ink, colors, and gold on paper, are examples of a seventeenth-century visual interpretation of this classical tale. In the fi rst scene, gold clouds are used to frame and enclose the scene, creating a sense of privacy. Through the parting of the clouds, the viewer is afforded a peek into a room where a group of women and warriors sit in tense confrontation. In the second scene, the gold clouds are used both to frame the narrative and to highlight the action of the central warrior as he engages in battle. The warrior’s position in mid-air is effectively captured as the gold clearly delineates the space of sky and water.