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This video is part 2 of 2 for art history of the Heian period. If you haven’t
already
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watched part 1, please click on the annotation to watch the introduction and
early Heian
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period. This video will cover the mid- and late Heian period.
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Remember how in the Nara period, lands were taken back under direct imperial
control and
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reformed? Well by the Heian period, the land had largely been gifted to these
aristocratic
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clans, particularly to the Fujiwara. The Fujiwara clan, who had taken an active
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and dominant role in the imperial government, was a powerful political force
until the middle
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of the twelfth century. Thus, the Middle Heian, during which they were at the
height of their
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influence, is often referred to as the Fujiwara period.
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In 858, the Fujiwara established a new form of government where they
appointed themselves
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as regents, called sessho, and civil dictators, called kanpaku. Though these
roles, they ruled
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in the name of the emperor. By this time, they had intermarried with the Yamato
so extensively
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that the head of the Fujiwara clan was usually the grandfather or uncle, and
maybe father-in-law
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of the emperor. What this means is that when a Fujiwara consort of the emperor
produced
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an heir apparent, the emperor was encouraged to abdicate and his Fujiwara
father-in-law
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was named sessho for the new emperor, and then kanpaku when the young ruler
came of
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age. Needless to say, they had a lot of control on the government.
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Powerful clan leaders and Buddhist temples also pressed the emperor to have
their shoen,
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or estates, taxes exempt. The shoen land owners stayed close to the capital,
while affairs
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were increasingly left to local estate managers. Under these managers were the
peasant farmers,
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who worked their land more or less as bonded serfs. As land holdings were
originally imperial
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“gifts” and changed hands with intermarriage and inheritance, the Fujiwara
carefully maneuvered
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control over the best sources of revenue at the time.
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During this time, Japanese culture flourished. It was largely a peaceful time, and
the aristocracy
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has the leisure time and financial means for aesthetic pursuits, such as writing
poetry,
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playing instruments, blending incense, and religious activities like copying
Buddhist
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sutras and putting on elaborate Buddhist ceremonies. These times have been
described by the art
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historian Sir George Samsom, as “The Rule of Taste” .
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Previously, due to the strong influence of the Chinese style, Japanese painters
copied
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the tall, rugged mountains of China, despite the fact that Japanese topography
was completely
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different from China’s. As the Japanese shifted away from their Chinese
models, paintings
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began to reflect Japan as the Japanese people saw it.
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The mid-Heian period is seen as the golden age of Yamato-e. They began to
distinguish
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between Japanese style and Chinese, referred to as kara-e and Yamato-e.
Yamato meaning
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Japan and Kara meaning China. Yamato-e is distinguished by a softer landscape
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and rich, but not brash palette of colors. The landscapes are of lower hills and
gentle
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valleys, much like the area around Heian. In contrast, Kara-e images continued
in Chinese
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narrative themes, ferocious mythical creatures and landscape of rugged
mountains.
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E-toki is a form of picture telling that developed to explain Buddhist principles.
Using an emaki,
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or hand picture, or a painted hand scroll, or rooms with paintings called a
picture hall,
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a monk would point to a picture and explain the story of either Shakyamuni, the
historical
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buddha, or another important Buddhist monk, most notably Prince Shotoku who
is often attributed
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with bringing Buddhism to Japan from China. The earliest examples of etoki
were performed
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to small groups of the ruling class upon special request. Later it would move out
of picture
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halls and became more of a public performance around 11th c. Music would be
composed for
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specific stories. Monks often performed etoki in exchange for gifts of money or
food. Traveling
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etoki performing monks would set up and preach on bridges or roadsides for
any audience.
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It was a way to teach the illiterate about the religion in an entertaining form of
storytelling.
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The Shotoku taishi eden illustrated the events in the life of Prince Shotoku in a
group of
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ten paintings in a geographical sequence (rather than in a chronological one).
Read right to
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left, each episode labeled in a cartouche affixed to the painting. The narrative
elements
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are fitted into pockets of open space between mountains, rocks and trees, and
the vertical
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composition is held together by the landscape, which flows around the episodes
and leads
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the eye. This use of mountian defined space to unify
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a composition, while at the same time separating figurative passages, is a
Chinese pictorial
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convention seen frequently in paintings of the Tang dynasty.
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While using a Chinese pictorial convention, the artist makes sure to make a
clear distinction
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between the landscape of Japan and China. In the two panels of Shitennoji is
shown in
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the lowlands of Naniwa, in what is now called Osaka. On the left side are the
mountains
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of China, tall and irregularly massed together, some of them displaying the
sharply undercut
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faceting frequently seen in kara-e landscapes but seldom in yamato-e. At the top
is a magical
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flying chariot, where Shotoku travels across the sea to China. Thus, this work is
an interesting
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use of a Chinese pictorial convention, but using it to illustrate a secular, native
theme
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(the prince’s biography) with new elements.
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In the 10th century, with the rising importance of Pure Land sects of Japanese
Buddhism, The
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focus of aristocratic worship in the Middle Heian period shifted from Dainichi
Nyorai
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and the mandalas of Shingon Buddhism to a belief in the rebirth in the Western
Paradise,
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or Pure Land, of one of the Dainichi’s transcendental Buddhas, Amida.
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New image-types were developed to satisfy the devotional needs of these sects.
These
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include the raigōzu, which depict Amida Buddha along with attendant
bodhisattvas, Kannon
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and Seishi, descending from heaven to welcome the souls of the faithful
departed to Amida's
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Western Paradise. In contrast to the complex and straight disciplines
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and rituals of the Shingon school, anyone who sought salvation merely had to
repeat
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the nenbutsu mantra, “Namu Amida Butsu”, or “Hail to Amida Buddha” to be
reborn
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in Amida’s paradise. Not bad, huh? Well lots of people thought so, too.
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This teaching didn’t just spread though the aristocracy, but Amida was the first
sect
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to extend to the lower ranks of society - aka the vast majority of the population.
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Prior to this Buddhism required reading of Chinese texts, so common people
who didn’t
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posses this skill (pretty much anyone who wasn’t an aristocratic male), saw
Buddhism
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simply as magic rituals to prevent calamities, promote a good harvest, and ease
the path
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of their loved ones into the next world - not really reaching nirvana as you’d
pretty
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much need to be a monk and dedicate your life to that. Instead, the nenbutsu
mantra promised
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a better afterlife, where even a peasant would live like an aristocrat in Amida’s
paradise
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- an irresistible offer at a time when the gap between an aristocrat and
commoner was
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perhaps never bigger.
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A noted early example of a raigozu is the Phoenix Hall of the Byōdō-in, a
temple in
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Uji, Kyoto. The site was originally a summer home, but was converted into a
temple in 1052,
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and in 1053, the Hoodo was dedicated. When looked at across the pool, with its
reflection
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in the waters, the building’s architecture is basically meant to look like Amida’s
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paradise.
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When walking into the Hoodo, you are surrounded by images of raigozu: At the
center is an
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over-life lized Amida Buddha on a tall lotus-blossom pedestal. On the upper
part of the walls are
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small wooden images of celestial nymphs, called tenin, monks and musicians.
The figures on
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the walls sit or stand on cloud forms, some playing musical instruments or
dancing.
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The Amida image was created by the foremost sculptor of the period: Jocho.
Jocho created
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new proportions for the amida image, using the height of the head from the chin
to the
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brow as a basic unit for the entire figure, and the vertical projection of the statue
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from the bottom of the legs to the hairline is exactly equal to the distance
between both
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knees. The image gives off a remarkable feeling of stability and calm.
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The image is sculpted using yosegi, or multiple blocks, a technique probably
developed from
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the Chinese split and rejoin method of construction. Created with 53 pieces of
wood, the multiple
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block technique did not allow deep carving of the drapery of facial details, but
Joochoo
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used this limitation to his advantage, creating a style of sculpture that was light
and ethereal,
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rather than heavy and overbearing like the Jingoji Yakushi
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The multiple-block technique allowed for more dynamic movement - not really
showcased in
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this particular sculpture - but it also facilitated the production of a work in the
studio tradition.
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The master could sketch the image, indicate the joining parts, and have the
apprentices
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make the preliminary sculpting of various parts. Then, it may be transported to
the
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site, assembled, and finished by the master sculptor.
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The figure is accompanied by an openwork gold halo that meets a round canopy
at the top.
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The detail work contrasts with the smooth surface of the Amida, underlining the
calm,
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quiet demeanor of the image itself. In the late Heian period, the imperial clan
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began to actively wrest control of the government from the Fujiwara, to rebuild
its own financial
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strength. Emperor Go Sanjo was the first emperor in
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many decades to be born of a non-Fujiwara mother, so he was able to resist
many of the
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Fujiwara demands. He established a concept called insei, or government by
cloistered,
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retired emperors. His idea was this: He would abdicate the throne
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and become a monk at a Buddhist temple he founded. He would continue to
govern the country
10:21
though his son, the reigning emperor, but since he would no longer be holding
an official
10:26
position, he could receive donations of land. This way, they would collect the
income generated
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through these lands, as well as from the intermediary of temples that he and his
family had founded.
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However, emperor Go Sanjoo died shortly after abdicating the throne and was
never able to
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put his plan to action. Instead, his son Shirakawa followed his lead with great
success. Along
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with his son Toba, the period of these two’s rule out rivaled the opulence of
even the
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most powerful Fujiwara members. The chief focus of the imperial family, as
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you can guess, was on the founding of Yamato clan temples. between the late
eleventh and
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middle of the twelfth century, the retired emperor and his kin and loyal subjects
dedicated
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a new Shinto worship hall every year and founded a Buddhist temple every five
years.
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Unfortunately, none of the temples built for Shirakawa, Toba, or their relatives
and devoted
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subjects have survived.
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The Sanjusangendo is perhaps most impressive for housing a thousand and one
images of the
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eleven-headed, thousand armed Senju Kannon. The original hall was destroyed
in a fire,
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but rebuilding began immediately, to house the images that were saved from the
fire.
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The simplicity of the architecture, with exposed beams, contrasts with the
complicated details
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of the myriad of Kannon images, and statues of Kannon’s attendants.
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One hundred and fifty-six Kannon sculptures were saved, and they formed the
nucleus of
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the Sanjusandendo installation. They’re mostly in a frontal position, with the
largest
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pair of arms pressed together in prayer. Another set of arms rest just below the
waist, and
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a third pair holds a monk’s staff and a trident-topped staff, a symbol of the
defence
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against evil. The rest of the arms are separate, some holding more objects , The
skirts and
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scarves are shallowly carved and fall in soft folds over the body.
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The later, 13th century additions are attributed to Tankei, have heavier drapery
folds over
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the legs and patterns created by the garments flow over the entire area between
the waist
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and feet. There’s also a greater gradation of the size of arms - demonstrating the
new
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interest in volumetric figures realistically presented which developed in the
Kamakura
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period. At the same time, they maintain a fidelity to the older forms for a
uniform
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look. Upon encountering the images, one is faced with a sea of figures too vast
to be
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comprehended from any single view.
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A great deal of time and money were devoted to secular projects as well.
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There are two distinct painting styles of these schools, referred to otoko-e,
men’s
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pictures, and onna-e, or women’s pictures. While otoko-e came to refer to
monochrome
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or lightly colored pictures that relied on the Chinese style of calligraphic line to
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convey visual image, Onna-e was a reaction to this genre and leaned towards
more yamoto-e
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style of painting. The Genji Monogatari emaki, an example of
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Onna-e, would’ve been an ambitious project completed by five teams, each
team including
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an aristocrat noted for his calligraphy and cultural sophistication, the principal
artist
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(called the sumigaki, or painter who draws in the black ink), and artists who
specialized
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in the application of traditional pigments.
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It’s suspected that all fifty four chapters of Genji Monogatari was illustrated,
with
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one to three paintings per chapter, in a set of ten scrolls. Today only twenty
pictures
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survive.
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The sumigaki would plan the composition and sketch it on paper in fine black
ink lines.
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At the same time he would make notes on the sheet about the colors he wanted.
And then
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the pigment specialists would apply each layer of paint, within but obscuring
the original
14:13
outlines. In the final stage, the sumigaki would review the illustration, perhaps
changing
14:17
a few details, and paint in the face details. This painting technique of applying
layers
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of paint over an underdrawing is called tsukuri-e, meaning “made-up” or
“construction”.
14:29
A major theme in the Genji Monogatari is the concept of mono no aware,
translated as “the
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pathos of things” or “the moving quality of experience”. It's an awareness of the
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impermanence or transience of things, which heightens appreciation of their
beauty and
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evokes a gentle sadness at their passing.
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The illustrations use pictorial conventions to help illustrate these moments of
high emotional
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intensity. The fukinuki yatai, or blown off roof and odd angle of perspective not
only
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seamlessly depicts indoor and outdoor activity, but also provides a better view
of the space,
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much like a rake or inclined stage. The presence or absence of space in which
the figures could
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move also contributes insight into their feelings. Colors and patterns heighten
the mood of the
15:20
scene. All the elements together create for a strong impression of mono no
aware.
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A second major theme is the chain of karmic consequences Genji generated
when he committed
15:31
one great sin against his father. In his youth, he fell in love with his father’s
youngest
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wife. A child was born from their liaison, and the baby boy was passed off as
the emperor’s
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own son - In other words, Genji’s son became Genji’s brother.
15:46
When Genji is middle age, his youngest wife has an extramarital affair that
results in
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a son that Genji decides he must publically accept as his own, just as the old
emperor
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had done with Genji’s son.
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The illustration of this scene would've been unveiled from right to left as the
image is
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rolled open. First you see the empty courtyard, originally painted silver but now
tarnished.
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The veranda placed at a sharp angle is almost keeps us out. With the peak of the
edge of
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twelve-layer robe, we tread carefully through the curtains into the room. You
get the sense
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of entering this very private space and moment. The sharp angle and edge of the
painting makes
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the room small, and almost claustrophobic.
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The red lacquered plates filled with food indicate that a ceremony is in place.
Genji
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at the top is holding a baby, while ladies in waiting are below. At the extreme
upper-left
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corner is the baby's mother, her presence depicted by a mound of fabric. Genji,
uncomfortable
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with the ritual, aware that the attendants know the baby is not his, is also
physically
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awkward, jammed into this constricted corner of the image.
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Like the pressure of society forcing him to put a good face on a bad situation,
the architecture
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forces Genji into a cramped position
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In the Minori (or The Rites) chapter, Genji's true love, Lady Murasaki, is dying.
Genji's
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daughter by another wife, who Lady Murasaki raised as her own, comes from
the imperial
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palace to be with her. One stormy evening Genji visits Murasaki, and the three
sit together,
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watching the wind whip the shrubs and grasses in the garden. When Genji first
built his
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mansion he planted this garden to be beautiful year round, reaching peak in the
springtime,
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Murasaki's favorite season. Now as they gaze at it, it seems to be nothing but a
tangled
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mass of vines.
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Again the architecture plays an important role. As Genji knowns Murasaki is
gravely
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ill, he dreads that she will die and senses his grief will be nearly too much to
bear.
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The angles are just as steep as the previous image, but unlike that one, the
figures appear
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almost immediately as the scroll is unrolled. Murasaki is near the top, leaning
on an armrest.
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Her adopted daughter just below in the angle formed by the upper beam of the
wall and the
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cloth curtain of state. Genji appears at the bottom of the incline, nearest to the
veranda.
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Lastly as the architecture disappears, it leads to the wind-ravaged garden. His
anguish
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over Murasaki as she drifts towards death is suggested by the space he occupies,
between
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the imminent death and the tangled shrubbery in the cold.
18:20
The Shigisan engi emaki (translated to the Scroll of the Legend of Mount Shigi)
is one
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of the earliest examples of a type of narrative that became very popular in the
late Heian
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and Kamakura periods. The engi is the history of the founding of a particular
Buddhist establishment.
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This one is about a temple called Chogosonshiji, deep in the mountains north of
Nara, and the
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magical tales of its founder, a monk named Myoren.
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The first two scrolls depict the miracles Myoren wrought: chastising a wealthy
and greedy
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farmer by making his granary fly through the air to the top of the mountain.
Then he heals
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Emperor Daigo when all other attempts had failed, causing a rare Buddhist
entity, a
19:02
sword boy, to appear to the emperor.
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The text serves as a legitimization of the temple, indicating that worshippers
there
19:09
would benefit from the magical powers of its founder.
19:13
This engi is in the otoko-e style, made by first painting the outlines of the
figures
19:18
and the natural scenery in dark-grey brush strokes. For colors, he used thin
pigments
19:23
that did not obscure his earlier lines. This allowed him to depict figures in active
stances
19:30
and utilize the calligraphic strokes to suggest movement. This gives the
illustration a lively,
19:35
fresh quality in perfect harmony with its subject matter.
19:40
Another major emaki surviving from the Late Heian period is the Ban Dainagon
ekotoba.
19:46
Attributed to Tokiwa no Mitsunaga, it tells the story of the Oten Gate of the
imperial
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palace burning down in 866. It was later proved that the fire was set by the head
of the Otomo
19:57
clan in an attempt to discredit a court rival, the Minister of the Left, Minamoto
no Makoto.
20:04
Found guilty, Lord Otomo was sent into exile.
20:07
An excellent example of narrative painting, this image illustrated the surprising
way
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that the truth comes out with amazing economy of space. Rather than each
scene having its
20:17
own panel, the events unfold right next to each other.
20:20
One day in the market district, two boys begin to fight. One boy’s father, a
retainer of
20:28
Lord Otomo rushes out to break them apart. Underneath this, the illustrations
shows how
20:33
the father beats the other child severely. The second boy’s father, a low-ranking
government
20:38
worker, rages at the first boy’s father for hurting his son. beside himself with
anger,
20:44
the second father blurts out that if the world knew what he knows about the
retainer and
20:49
his master Lord Otomo, they would be severely punished.
20:53
Heard by everyone in the neighborhood, the threat was discussed in whispers
until it
20:57
finally comes to the attention of the metropolitan police. The second father tells
the authorities
21:02
that he saw the retainer and Lord Otomo climb down from the palace gate just
before it burst
21:08
into flames.
21:09
While the conversation between the fathers isn't shown, there are people
grimacing as
21:13
he beats the child. The figure with his mouth wide open shows how the rumor
spreads by word
21:18
of mouth, passing from person to person.
21:21
This emaki is an interesting blend of the tsukuri-e seen in the Genji Monogatari
emaki,
21:27
and the free otoko-e style of the Shigisan engi emaki. The artist uses an elegant
and
21:32
controlled calligraphic line to sketch out his figures, but also thickly applies
bright
21:37
colors.
21:38
The unidealized human behavior central to both the Shigisan engi and Ban
Dainagon demonstrate,
21:45
perhaps a new awareness and interest outside of the aristocratic circle.
21:50
By the end of the Heian period, the cloistered world of the court was beginning
to collapse,
21:55
and perhaps these works, at least on the part of some of the aristocracy, were an
attempt
22:00
to break through the bars of their gilded cage.
22:04
After Toba’s death in 1156, disputes over succession between the imperial
Yamato and
22:09
the Fujiwara clans resulted in two rebellions: The Hogen in 1156,
22:15
The Heiji or Heike in 1160.
22:18
The two opposing clans sought help from the military clans, the Taira and the
Minamoto.
22:24
The disputes concluded with the Genpei Civil War, which lasted from 1180 to
1185. The war
22:30
was fought throughout the country but ended with an epic sea battle that almost
completely
22:35
wiped out the Taira clan and women of the Taira clan leap to their watery
graves, clutching
22:40
the infant Emperor Antoku.
22:43
So traumatic was this loss, that there are even ghosts stories about their death.
You
22:47
can check one out over here.
22:49
The victorious Minamoto established a new form of military dictatorship, the
bakufu,
22:54
in which a military clan oversaw the governing of the nation until 1868 and the
imperial
23:01
restoration. - And we’ll cover that in the next video.
23:04
Thanks so much for watching this video! I’m doing a whole series on Japanese
art - everything
23:09
from prehistoric to Heian period; modern Japan to contemporary art and pop
culture. Besure
23:14
to subscribe to catch them all!
23:16
Special thanks to our patreon supporter, I really appreciate your contributions. If
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23:20
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23:24
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23:30
And I’ll see you guys next time with the Kamakura Period!