Page 250 - Edo: Art in Japan, 1615–1868

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Hie Scmno Festiual Sumiyoshi Festiual
Seventeenth century Seventeenth century
Pair of six-panel screens; ink, color, Pair of six-panel screens; ink, color,
and gold on paper and gold on paper
3
7
x
Each 154.5 354-5 (6o /s x 13972) Each 97.5 x 269 (s8 /8 x 105 Vs)
Konchi'in, Kyoto The Sakai Museum, Osaka
• Hie Shrine is located in the village • Sumiyoshi Shrine is dedicated to
of Sakamoto on Lake Biwa, near the deified form of the legendary
Kyoto. In premodern Japan the shrine's Empress Jingu and the three deities
festival was held in the fourth lunar said to defend her. The four protect
month about the time of the Day of ships and sailors. The patron of poets 249
the Monkey, the monkey being the is also enshrined there. The Sumi-
tutelary messenger of the shrine. yoshi Festival was formerly held the
Hie Shrine has always been closely last day of the sixth month and the
associated with the nearby Tendai first day of the seventh month of the
Buddhist temple of Enryakuji. premodern lunar calendar.

The upper middle part of the right In this pair of screens the precincts
screen depicts the shrine complex. In of the shrine are detailed with great
the center a sacred sakaki branch is precision. The highlight is the proces-
enshrined inside a wall-less structure. sion of the four portable shrines of
The presence in the scene of praying the four deities in the left portion of
Buddhist monks (shaved and in dark the left screen. The identity of the
robes) as well as Shinto priests (in shrine is immediately apparent from
white robes and wearing black eboshi the distinctive, steeply arched bridge
hats) graphically illustrates the syn- over which the portable shrines are
cretic nature of religious practice and carried. The procession winds its way
belief in the Edo period. A procession through the streets, passing shops
of large portable shrines streams whose identifying curtains (noren)
down the hill toward Lake Biwa. indicate the activities within. The des-
These shrines are immensely heavy tination of the procession, as in most
and require many men to support Shinto festivals, is the landing place
them. The prominent and large red of the deity. The point of view is from
gate (torii) at the bottom of the screen the water, as if from a passing boat.
marks the boundary of the shrine's Many of the processionaires are in
property. costume. In the second panel from
the right in the right screen men are
In the left screen each of the seven
dressed as Portuguese, a fashion
portable shrines is shown being car- taken from these European visitors
ried by a pair of boats lashed together. to Japan in the first half of the seven-
They are engaged in a race that was teenth century. RTS
held on Lake Biwa, the winner of
which was presented with prizes and
accorded great honor. At the far left
of the screen three men in monkey
costumes and monkey masks enjoy
the race, reminding the viewer of the
importance of the monkey to this
shrine. RTS