Waseda University Library Rare Material Collections

ATSUMORI EMAKI (Manuscript, Muromachi period)
Call Number: [chi]4-2084

ATSUMORI EMAKI

attrib. daughter of Asukai Masachika, Ichiino Tsubone, 2 vols.
(Vol. 1, 26.0 X 696.0 cm.; Vol. 2, 26.0 X 545.0 cm.)
Text ca. 20 characters in each line. In "kozo" (paper mulberry) paper, backed with "gampi" (a shrub, Wikstroemia canescens) paper.

This emaki (picture scroll) depicts the story of the otogi-zoshi "Ko-Atsumori". In the Taira-Minamoto War ("Gempei Kassen", 1180-1185), the bereft son of Tairano Atsumori grew up under the Buddhist priest Honen, and ended up meeting the spirits of his mother and then of his father.
Among the currently existing picture scrolls of "Ko-Atsumori" as otogi-zoshi, that of Waseda is similar to the one owned by the Keio University Library, and has noticeably a different text from the other manuscripts. Although separated in two volumes, this manuscript is supposed to be originally in one volume. Composed of 16 paragraphs of written text and 15 colorful "Narae"-like pictures.
This work is attributed to Asukai Masachika's daughter, Ichiino Tsubone. Originated in the late Muromachi period (around 1500).

OTOGI-ZOSHI
Generally, novels and short tales produced mainly during the Muromachi period (1333-1568). From the Nambokucho period (1336-1392) through the early Edo period (17th century), a large number of emaki of the otogi-zoshi genre appeared.
NARAE
Rich-colored paintings for illustrations inserted in otogi-zoshi or yokyoku (book for noh chanting), in vermilion and blue-green distempers and often foiled with gold or silver.
ASUKAI family
A family renowned for generations of waka poets and calligraphers in particular from the Kamakura through Muromachi periods. Asukai Masachika (1416-1490) was a central figure of the waka circles in the middle Muromachi period.