Page 190 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

riors of the Genji clan, Sasaki Shiro Taka- chored a little offshore. The warrior wore ar- no chance of escaping from the Genji.
tsuna and Kajiwara Genta Kagesue, mor laced with light green silk cords over a Since you must die now, let it be my hand
emerged and raced each other on horse- twilled silk battle robe decorated with an rather than by the hand of another, for I will
back across the churning water. Each embroidered design of cranes. On his head see that prayers for your better fortune in
hoped to be the first to reach the other was a gold-horned helmet. He carried a the next world are performed.
shore in order to launch the attack on sword in a gold-studded sheath and a bow (Translated in Kitagawa and Tsuchida 1975, vol.
Yoshinaka's garrisons. Both warriors were bound with red lacquered rattan. His quiver 2, 561-562.)
mounted on horses that had been personal held a set of black and white feathered ar- When the youth was beheaded,
gifts from Yoritomo, in recognition of their rows, the center of each feather bearing a Naozane found a flute in a brocade pouch
valor. Sasaki rode a dark chestnut horse black mark. He rode a dappled gray horse tucked around the youth's body. The
named Ikezuki and Kajiwara a black horse outfitted with a gold-studded saddle. He was youth was soon identified as Atsumori, an
named Surusumi, both Yoritomo's most swimming at a distance of five or six tan outstanding flute player, only seventeen
coveted horses. The two warriors plunged [that is, more than 100 feet] when Nobu- years of age, and a son of Tsunemori, the
into the river, Kajiwara with a slight head zane roared at him: You out there! I believe chief of the department of construction at
start, but Sasaki, by clever trickery, outdis- you are a great general. It is cowardly to turn the Imperial Palace. The flute was the fa-
tanced Kajiwara. your back on your enemy. Come back! mous flute named Saeda (Small Branch),
In the screen the two horses trot to- Naozane beckoned to him with his fan. originally owned by Emperor Toba (r.
ward the water's edge. Between the gold Thus challenged, the warrior turned his 1107-1123). Kumagae, deeply disturbed by
clouds a section of the ruined Uji Bridge is horse around. When he reached the beach, the event, later took the tonsure and spent
visible. Kajiwara's black horse braved the Naozane rode alongside, grappled with him, the remainder of his life as a Buddhist
churning water first, eighteen feet ahead and wrestled him to the ground. As evangelist.
of Sasaki who from behind shouted that Naozane pressed down his opponent and re- The screens are traditionally at-
Kajiwara's horse's girths needed tighten- moved his helmet to cut off his head, he tributed to a minor painter, Yano Saburô-
ing. While the gullible Kajiwara, in mid- saw before him the fair-complexioned face hyôbei Yoshishige, who served Hosokawa
stream, attended to this problem, Sasaki of a boy no more than sixteen or seventeen. Sansai (1563-1646) at Kokura, Kyushu, and
overtook him and reached the opposite Looking at this face, he recalled his son, his son Tadatoshi (1586-1641), daimyo of
shore first. Naoie. The youth was so handsome and in- Higo Province (now Kumamoto Prefec-
The left screen depicts an episode nocent that Naozane, unnerved, was unable ture). The painting shows technical mas-
soon after the battle at Ichinotani, Harima to find a place to strike with the blade of his tery reminiscent of the professional Kano
Province (part of Hyôgo Prefecture, near sword.... He thought to himself: The studio tradition, which far exceed our ex-
Kobe), which occurred one month after slaughter of one courtier cannot conclu- pectations of a provincial painter. YS
the Uji River episode. The Genji defeated sively effect this war. Even when I saw that
the Heike at Ichinotani, and the Heike sur- my son, Naoie, was slightly wounded, I no Maps of the world and of Japan
vivors fled the shore toward the fleets. could not help feeling misery. How much pair of six-fold screens; ink, color, and
One of the ablest ranking warriors of the more painful it would be if'this young war- gold leaf on paper
Genji troops, Kumagae Nobuzane, pur- n'or's father heard that his son had been each 163.8 x 379.6 (64^2 x 149^2)
sued them. The painting depicts the sub- killed. I must spare him ! Looking over his Edo period, after 1632
sequent events, described in the Tale. shoulder, he saw a group of his comrades
As he was riding to the beach, he galloping toward them. He suppressed his Jótokuji, Fukui Prefecture
caught sight of a fine-looking warrior urging tears and said: Though I wish to spare your Important Cultural Property
his horse into the sea toward a boat an- life, a band of my fellow warriors is ap-
proaching, and there are so many others This striking pair of screens, one a map of
throughout the countryside that you have the world and the other a map of Japan, re-

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