The Arts of the Imperial Court | 8th–16th century
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Part of Volume 2 of Collection of Poems by Tsurayuki (One of the "Ishiyama Fragments")
By Fujiwara no Sadanobu, Heian period, 12th centuryJapanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 3
September 20, 2023 (Wed) - October 29, 2023 (Sun)After emulating China for generations, the imperial court began to develop its own cultural identity around the 10th century. This movement was led by the court nobility serving the emperor. The body of work they produced — literature, calligraphy, painting, and elegantly decorated items for daily use — became one of Japan’s cultural foundations.
Even after the samurai gained more political power than the court in the 12th century, the court remained the home of high culture for centuries. The different art forms of the court were closely related, with literature playing a central role. Previously the nobility wrote in Chinese, but the creation of a new writing system (kana) helped Japanese literature to flourish. Both noblemen and noblewomen wrote some of Japan’s most celebrated poetry and stories, including by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu. Scenes from literature were also shown in paintings and on furnishings, which the nobility commissioned for their mansions.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Part of "Collection of Poems by Lady Ise" (One of the "Ishiyama Fragments") | Attributed to Fujiwara no Kintō (966–1041) | Heian period, 12th century | Private collection | ||||
| Part of "Collection of Poems by Lady Ise" (One of the "Ishiyama Fragments") | Attributed to Fujiwara no Kintō (966–1041) | Heian period, 12th century | Lent by the Agency for Cultural Affairs | ||||
| Highlight | Part of Volume 2 of "Collection of Poems by Tsurayuki" (One of the "Ishiyama Fragments") | By Fujiwara no Sadanobu (1088–after 1154) | Heian period, 12th century | B-2456 | |||
| Part of Volume 2 of "Collection of Poems by Tsurayuki" (One of the "Ishiyama Fragments") | By Fujiwara no Sadanobu (1088–after 1154) | Heian period, 12th century | Gift of Mr. Takagi Seikaku, B-3351 | ||||
| Decorative Paper for "Collection of Poems by Lady Ise" (One of the “Ishiyama Fragments”) | Heian period, 12th century | Gift of Mr. Setsu Isao, B-3482 | |||||
| Highlight | Mirror with a Scene of Mount Penglai | Kamakura period, 13th century | E-19965 |