Building Types and Narrative Development in Emaki—Comparing the Compositions of KASUGA GONGEN GENKI and Ishiyama-dera Engi Emaki

Abstract

Emaki is a traditional Japanese pictorial expression format. Emaki (“picture scrolls”) are viewed using the unique characteristics of scrolls. The viewer does not look at the paintings from the start to the end, but rather reveals them gradually by unravelling the scroll. Emaki content can be broadly categorized into two types: narrative emaki and religious emaki. Kasuga Gongen Genki and Ishiyama-dera Engi, the subjects of this analysis, are religious emaki from the Kamakura Period, during which the emaki culture developed and a diverse range of works were produced. These emaki are attributed to Takashina Takakane, a renowned and greatly talented imperial court artist. These emaki include many scenes depicting backgrounds with shrines, temples, residences, and other buildings in oblique projections. Accordingly, the front, sides, and top are drawn for sections with buildings, and the characters in the narrative are placed on one of these three locations. As a result, one gets a glimpse of regularity (although it is partial) in the order by which the building compositions change and in the order of viewing the scrolls. Emaki are viewed using the unique method of looking at the sections that are unrolled in order. It is thought that artists did not just depict buildings in a typical fashion, but intentionally repeated character placements and compositions to create a visual flow for the viewer. Contemporary viewers were limited to members of the noble class, and this culture of visual experience was cultivated to satisfy their needs.