Scene from Illustrated Legend of the Kitano Shrine: Exile to Tsukushi

1278

Sugawara no Michizane (845–903) was a revered scholar and politician, but his political downfall sent him into exile at the southern tip of the main Japanese island, where he eventually died. After his death, a series of disasters and bizarre events occurred. To appease his vengeful spirit, a shrine was built and he was deified as a god. This painting shows the poignant moment of Michizane sailing into exile.

Handscrolls recounting Michizane’s life and the origin of the shrine were created beginning in the early 13th century. This is a section from the second oldest scroll, after which many versions were made. Unlike most Japanese illustrated narrative handscrolls (emaki) where text and image alternate, this scroll bears images only because it was cut into segments and the writing was removed. Even though the writing is missing, this segment effectively conveys one of the story’s climaxes through its captivating depictions of the figures.

Section of a handscroll, mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper

11 7/8 x 20 1/2 in. (30.1 x 52.1 cm)

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

48.169

Photo: Susan A. Cole

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Japanese Art In The Seattle Art Museum, 1960.

New York, New York, Asia House, Tea Taste In Japanese Art, 1963.

Portland, Oregon, Portland Art Museum, Gift to a City: Masterworks from the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection in the Seattle Art Museum, Nov. 3 - 28, 1965. Cat. no. 111.

Tokyo, Japan, Museum of Western Art, Exhibition Of Masterpieces, East and West, From American Collections From Ancient Egyptian Through Contemporary, organized by the Museum Interchange Subcommittee of the United States Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON), Sept. 10 - Oct. 17, 1976 (Kyoto, Japan, National Museum, Kyoto, Japan, Nov. 1 - Dec. 5, 1976).

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, A Thousand Cranes: Treasures of Japanese Art, Feb. 5 - July 12, 1987.

Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo National Museum, Anniversary Exhibition, Oct. 12 - Nov. 23, 1992.

Tokyo, Japan, Suntory Museum of Art, Luminous Jewels: Masterpieces of Asian Art From the Seattle Art Museum, July 25 - Sept. 6, 2009 (Kobe, Japan, Kobe City Museum, Sept. 19 - Dec. 6, 2009; Kofu, Japan, Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Dec. 23, 2009 - Feb. 28, 2010; Atami, Japan, MOA Museum of Art, Mar. 13 - May 9, 2010; Fukuoka, Japan, Fukuoka Art Museum, May 23 - July 19, 2010).

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art, Dec. 22, 2012 - July 21, 2013.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view Feb. 8, 2020 - July 11, 2021].

Published ReferencesLee, Sherman. "Seven Early Japanese Paintings," in Art Quarterly, Autumn 1949, pp. 309-324, discussed pp. 315-316, illus. p. 317

"Handbook, Seattle Art Museum: Selected Works from the Permanent Collections." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1951, p. 90 (b&w)

Fuller, Richard E. "Japanese Art in the Seattle Art Museum: An Historical Sketch." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1960 ("Presented in commemoration of the Hundredth Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the United States of America"), no. 57

"Gift to a City: Masterworks From the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection in the Seattle Art Museum," Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1965, no. 111.

Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, "A Thousand Cranes: Treasures Of Japanese Art", copublished by Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA, 1987, p. 121

Shirahara, Yukiko. "Tsuji Kako and the Modern Spirit," A Community of Collectors, Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 2008, p. 176, illus. fig. 2.

Kawai, Masatomo, Yasuhiro Nishioka, Yukiko Sirahara, editors, "Luminous Jewels: Masterpieces of Asian Art From the Seattle Art Museum", 2009, The Yomiuri Shimbun, catalogue number 33

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