Illustrated Tales of Ise - Karasumaru Mitsuhiro

A refined seventeenth-century Japanese handscroll scene depicting courtly figures in a landscape, rendered in the traditional Yamato-e style.

This work is a segment from an emaki, or handscroll, illustrating the Tales of Ise, a collection of Japanese waka poems and associated narratives dating to the Heian period. Karasumaru Mitsuhiro, a courtier and calligrapher of the early Edo period, is known for his refined aesthetic sensibility and his engagement with classical literature. The composition employs the fukinuki-yatai technique, which involves removing the roof of a building to provide an aerial view of the interior space. This allows the viewer to observe the figures gathered on the tatami mats, engaged in courtly discourse.

The architectural elements are rendered with precise, clean lines, contrasting with the more fluid, organic depiction of the surrounding nature. A waterfall cascades through rocky terrain, framed by pine trees and autumn foliage. The use of gold leaf flecks across the upper and lower sections of the scroll adds a decorative quality, a common feature in high-status Japanese painting of the seventeenth century. The colour palette remains balanced, utilising mineral pigments that have retained their clarity over centuries. The figures are depicted in traditional court attire, their postures and gestures conveying a sense of decorum and quiet contemplation.

Karasumaru Mitsuhiro was a central figure in the cultural life of Kyoto, and his work reflects the revival of classical themes during the early seventeenth century. This print captures the intersection of literature and visual art, where the narrative of the Ise monogatari is brought to life through the conventions of the Yamato-e style. The scene invites a close inspection of the relationship between the built environment and the natural world, a recurring theme in Japanese art history. This museum-grade reproduction preserves the delicate brushwork and the subtle tonal shifts of the original handscroll.