Section from Theatres of the East

Category

Library Item

Item no

43199

Title

Section from Theatres of the East, a Japanese handscroll painting

Description

Section of a handscroll painting depicting the theatre district of Edo, or Tokyo in Japan as it is known today.

A group of people approach the entrance on the left to a high walled enclosure. Outside there are several shops and lots of people walking amongst the goods and services on offer. On the right a man prepares hot food on a grill and serves it on skewers. In the centre of the low roof, a man is seen sitting in a fire watchtower.

Artist / maker

Furuyama, Moromasa

Date

1720

Type

Ink and colour

Location

Art and Design Library

Both Chinese and Japanese artists of this period perfected the art of a linear narrative on a handscroll, to be unrolled in sections from right to left, in segments of approximately 60cm wide. Onlookers would return to the artwork to view the picture as the sections revealed at regular intervals over a period of time. The story develops in time and depicts simultaneous activities in a perspective view. (It is thought that the sections in this case were larger, as depicted here at around 120cm.)

The handscroll was given to Edinburgh Central Library as a gift from the Dyer family. It was painted by Furuyama Moromasa and it is signed 'Nihon eshi Furuyama Moromasa e' [Picture by Furuyama Moromasa, painter of Japan']. He is reputed to have been the son of Furuyama Moroshige (Moronobu's senior pupil). Hishikawa Moronobu (1618-1694) was the leading artist in Edo (Tokyo) and is regarded as the founder of the school of 'Ukiyo-e', known to the west as Pictures of the Floating World - scenes from the theatre and the life of courtesans.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Watch towers

Business > Service industry > Shops

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hairstyles

Clothing and dress > Garments > Kimonos

Clothing and dress > Garments > Loin cloths

Places > Asia > Japan

Transport > Infrastructure > Streets

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