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平家物語図

江戸時代(17世紀)
(各)26 × 30(高さ)cm
額80枚、紙本金地着色

“Tale of the Heike”

Edo period, 17th century
26 × 30(height)cm each
Eighty Leaves of framed painting, painted on paper in ink, mineral pigment, and gold leaf

Price

Price on request


Dr.K says

平家の盛衰を語った物語を「平家物語」は、軍記物として文学的に愉しまれたと同時に、琵琶による語りとして衆庶が愛好した。「洛中洛外図屏風」にも平家琵琶を語る「平家座頭」が京の街中を歩く姿や、時として犬に追われる態が描かれている。
本図はその保存状態の良好さから見て、本来は画帖の体裁だったと思われる。かつては全80図に「土佐派 平家物語 江戸中期」とした貼紙があったが(現在は剥離済)、金雲の形態からすると、18世紀の「江戸中期」とするのは無理で、明らかに17世紀(江戸前期)の作とするのが妥当であろう。貼紙に「土佐派」とあるのは本図が狩野派などの漢画系の画家によるものではなく、やまと絵系の画家の作というのであるが、近世土佐派から分かれた住吉派の制作と見るべきであろう。17世紀後半の住吉派の画家といえば住吉具慶(1631-1705)がいるが、具慶が描いたことが確実な「洛中洛外図屏風」の金雲の形態と本図のそれが酷似していることは無視出来ないだろう。

The war epos Tales of the Heike tells the story of the rise and fall of the Taira clan. At the time the tales were conceived, they would have been sung to the music of a lute (biwa). Screens of the rakuchū rakugai genre sometimes include scenes of Heike performances in Kyoto.
All these album leaves are striking in their pristine condition. The 80 album leaves were formerly mounted on sheets of paper that have since been removed. They used to carry the label “Tosa School, Tales of the Heike, mid-Edo period.” However, considering the shape of the golden clouds that grace the images, an 18th-century date seems unlikely. Rather, there is little doubt that the paintings were made in the early Edo period, namely during the 17th century. The label “Tosa School” was added in response to the yamato-e style used in the paintings, a style that is not associated with the Kano atelier. However, the paintings are likely the product of the Sumiyoshi atelier. The most representative Sumiyoshi-School painter of the 17th century was Sumiyoshi Gukei (1631-1705). The golden clouds found in Gukei’s Rakuchū rakukai screens resemble those in this album closely.