Illustrated legend of Tamamo no mae

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Maker(s)
Artist: Yasunobu Kichizaemon (17th century)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, 17th century
Medium
Ink, color, gold, and silver on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 32.6 x 1234.5 cm (12 13/16 x 486 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1987.9
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Handscroll

Keywords
Edo period (1615 - 1868), Japan, woman
Provenance

From 1951 to 1987
H.W. Campbell, Ocala, FL, purchased in Tokyo in 1951 [1]

From 1987
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from H.W. Campbell in 1987

Notes:

[1] When H.W. Campbell purchased the objects in Tokyo in 1951, it was said to have been the property of a family that had been feudal lords in the Tokugawa era (see Curatorial Note 3 in object file).

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

H. W. Campbell

Label

This handscroll (as well as F1987.10) relates the story of Tamamo no mae, a woman who is possessed by a fox spirit. She is capable of transforming herself into the guise of a beautiful woman, or into the form of a magical nine-tailed fox. The narrative sections are written on paper decorated with hand-painted gold designs, followed by short illustrations bordered by cloud bands decorated with gold leaf. Japanese handscrolls are read from right to left and are unrolled gradually to reveal each scene. They were usually made for private enjoyment. Imaginative legends such as Tamamo no mae were especially popular from the fourteenth century onward.

Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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