User:Bamse/Ban Dainagon Ekotoba

Ban Dainagon Ekotoba (伴大納言絵詞 The Tale of Great Minister Ban)

ja:伴大納言絵詞 fr:Ban dainagon ekotoba

Conspiracy

The Ōtenmon Conspiracy is recorded in the Sandai Jitsuroku, the last of Japan's six national histories, covering the years 858–887. On Jōgan 8, 3rd month, 10th day (March 30, 866), the Grand Counselor of State, Tomo no Yoshio or Ban Dainagon set fire to the Ōtenmon, the main southern gate of the Heian Palace in Kyoto situated between the central gate (Suzakumon) at the southern end of the greater Imperial Palace (Daidairi), the Court of Government and the Great Hall of State (Daigokuden). He then circulated the rumor that his rival, the Minister of the Left, Minamoto no Makoto with whom he was on bad terms, was responsible for the arson. Yoshio convinced the Minister of the Right, Fujiwara no Yoshimi who went on trying to convince the counselor Sangi Fujiwara no Mototsune to arrest Makoto. However, Mototsune informed his father, Chancellor of the Realm (Daijō Daijin) Fujiwara no Yoshifusa of the situation. Yoshifusa wouldn't put it past Makoto to have set fire to the gate and appealed to Emperor Seiwa to campaign for Makoto's innocence. The emperor decided not to punish Makoto and instead dispatched an envoy to console him.

In the eigth month of the same year (September–October 866), Ōyake no Takatori (大宅鷹取), a government official doing miscellaneous duties on documents of Bitchū Province, reported that Tomo no Yoshio and his son Tomo no Nakatsune were behind the arson. He held Yoshio responsible for his daughter being killed by Yoshio's male servant Ikue no Tsuneyama (生江恒山). Following an investigation Yoshio's crime was confirmed by the police. Ban Dainagon was exiled to Izu Province on the 22nd day, 9th month (November 3, 866) of the same year.

This story was handed down from generation to generation among the Heian population and in the process of this oral transmission diverged somewhat from historical fact. It appears again in the late 12th or early 13th century Uji Shūi Monogatari (Tales of Uji), i.e. around the same time as the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba. As the story was well known at the time it is not known whether either of these works was based on the other or not. Various speculations have been put forward on why this story reappeared at a time of political upheavals in the late Heian period which would eventually end the Imperial rule.

• story entered popular culture and was handed down from generation to generation; eventually included in the (late 12th or early 13th c.) Uji Shūi Monogatari (Tales of Uji)
• in course of oral transmission the story diverged somewhat from historical fact
• BDE is dated to about the same time as Tales of Uji, but no need to assume that it is based on the Uji tales since the story was widely known at the time
• many speculations on why this story was chosen for illustration in time of political upheavals in the mid 12th century

• otemmon was imperial gateway between the central gate (Suzaku-mon) at the south end of the reater Imperial Palace (Daidairi) and the Court of Government and the Great Hall of State (Daigokuden).
• outemmon palace gate fire of 866 said to have been set by tomo no yoshio in order to discredit a rival

• Oyake no Takatori: early heian government official doing miscellaneous duties on documents (gon no shisho) on Bicchu province (備中権史生); reported that Tomo no Yoshio and his son Tomo no Nakatsune were behind the arson; held tomo no yoshio responsible for his daughter being killed by his yoshio's male servant Ikue no Tsuneyama (生江恒山); following a police investigation into Tsuneyama, yoshio's arson was confirmed

• 10th day of 3rd month, 866: tomo no yoshio (ban dainagon) set fire to outemmon gate of kyoto imperial palace; then circulated rumor that his rival minamoto no makoto (minister of left) was responsible for fire; plot failed and yoshio was exiled to izu province
• in 866 Oten Gate of imperial palace burned down; after many months facts came to light that the head of the outomo clan, major counselor tomo no yoshio (name and title in chinese reading: ban dainagon) had set fire to the gate in order to discredit a court rival, minister of the left minamoto no makoto. when his guilt was established, lord outomo was punished (sent to exile)
• 10th day of 3rd month, 866 (intercalary): fire on main southern gate of heian palace, set by tomo no yoshio (伴善男), discovery of plot is vividly depicted

• story also recorded in a history of the period
• incident recorded in sandai jitsuroku (official history of 858 to 887):
  • tomo no yoshio (BD), dainagon or great counselor of state, was on bad terms with minister of left (sadaijin) minamoto no makoto
  • yoshio had otemmon torched to entrap makoto
  • yoshio accused makoto of being behind the arson and demanded from minister of right (fujiwara no yoshimi) to punish him
  • yoshimi believed yoshio and tried to make the councillor (sangi) fujiwara no mototsune to arrest makoto
  • instead mototsune told his father, the grand minister of state (dajoudaijin) fujiwara no yoshifusa about the situation (of which he had not been informed)
  • (yoshifusa did not believe that makoto could have committed such crime and called upon the emperor to argue for makoto's innocence
  • emperor was convinced, decided not to punish makoto and sent an envoy to console him instead
  • in the 8th month of that year, ouyake no takatori reported that arson was a result of conspiracy by yoshio and his allies
  • upon investigation that assertion was confirmed and yoshio was exiled to izu province on the 22nd day, 9th month

Ekotoba

Description

The late 12th century Ban Dainagon Ekotoba is the last major emaki of the Heian period and was created during the time of Emperor Go-Shirakawa's rule. Based on a combination of methods such as comparison of garment styles, details on buildings or the style of calligraphy, it has been dated to between 1157 and 1180. It is widely believed that the creation of the emaki is linked to the belief in vengeful spirits or goryō. Following the social and military unrest of the Hōgen (1156) and Heiji (1160) disturbances, the late 12th century saw a peak in this belief as older goryō were held responsible for these civil wars and a large number of new spirits were created by these disturbances. Tomo no Yoshio was among those spirits feared at the time and the 11th story of the 27th volume of the Konjaku Monogatarishū (ca. 1120) titled: "The story of a cook who saw the ghost of counselor Tomo", relates how Yoshio had become a "god of pestilence". The Ban Dainagon Ekotoba was likely commissioned by Go-Shirakawa to pacify the angry spirit of Tomo no Yoshio following the great fire of Kyoto in 1177 which destroyed the palace including the Ōtemmon gate. A similar procedure is known from the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki and the Kibi Daijin Nittō Ekotoba which were created to console the spirits of Sugawara Michizane and Kibi no Makibi respectively. According to Kenji Matsuo, the scroll shows Yoshio's regret directly thereby protecting against his wrath. This is particularly evident in the final text section which reads: [Tomo no Yoshio] set fire to the Oten-mon, placed the blame on Minister Makoto, and said that the minister was guilty. He thought, "Since I am the top counselor, I will surely become minister [in Makoto's place]," but he was instead shown to be guilty. Oh, how he regretted it!

On the other hand, Michel Conan notes that the story as told in the Emaki "augments" the official history from the Sandai Jitsuroku. It uses drama in a way to remind contemporaries of more recent incidents, particularly fires in Kyoto. He sees the Ekotoba as an implicit critique on the Fujiwara clan for "employing devious strategies to discredit rival clans" and as a warning to those attempting to damage the "divinely sanctioned ritual state".

While the artist is not known with certainty, based on stylistic comparison with the Nenjū Gyōji Emaki, the illustrations are generally attributed to Tokiwa Mitsunaga (常磐光長) who was a prominent painter at the court of Emperor Go-Shirakawa at the end of the Heian period. The text captions are thought to be by the famous calligrapher of the time, Fujiwara Norinaga (1109–1180).

Today the emaki consists of three illustrated scrolls, each more than 8 m (26 ft) long and 31.5 cm (12.4 in) wide. However, in the entry for Kakitsu 1, 4th month, 26th day (May 16, 1441) of the 15th century text Kammon Nikki (看聞日記, Diary of things seen and heard) by Fushiminomiya Sadafusashinnō (伏見宮貞成親王, Go-Sukō-in) (1372–1456), a single volume "painting of Counselor Ban" is mentioned. This suggests that the emaki was originally a single scroll. According to Go-Sukō-in's commentary this painting was already in poor condition by the 15th century. Presently in possession of the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, the ekotoba had been the ancestral heritage of the Shinto shrine Shin Hachimangū (新八幡宮) at Matsunagashō (松永庄), Wakasa Province (present day eastern part of Obama, Fukui).

• alternative name of emaki: Tomo no Dainagon ekotoba; Ban Major Counselor Picture Scrolls; Courtier Ban Dainagon handscroll

• 12th century
• late 12th c.; 2nd half of 12th c.; between 1157 and 1180 based on a combination of methodologies (styles of garments, details on palaces and temples, style of calligraphy, reuse (quote or rephrase) of passages in other works)
• last major emaki of heian period

• set of three illustrated scrolls
• scroll 1: 839.5cm, scroll 2: 858.7cm, scroll 3: 931.7cm
• more than 20m long, ca. 31.5cm high
• today 3 handscrolls, each over 800cm long; but according to a 15th century text, originally one long scroll

• attributed to Tokiwa Mitsunaga; attributed (main leadership of work) to the imperial court painter Tokiwa Mitsunaga (常磐光長), appointed to 後白河院; attributed to Tokiwa Mitsunaga based on stylistic similarity to Nenjuu gyouji emaki
• Tokiwa Mitsunaga is said to have been a prominent court painter at end of heian period (12th c.)
• like nenjuugyouji emaki, illustrations by Tokiwa no Genji Mitsunaga and headnotes by Fujiwara Norinaga (1109-80), renowned calligrapher of the time
• writer unknown, color on paper

• according to Michael Conen:
  • emaki augments the tale told in official history
  • the story implicitly critiques fujiwara clan for employing devious strategies to discredit rival clans
  • emaki presents story with all the drama of contemporary news; in a manner that doubtless reminded contemporaries of more recent events, especially fires in the capital
  • it highlight dangers of infringing taboo (causing direct damage to the divinely sanctioned ritual state)
• go-shirakawa's era saw proliferation of picture scrolls (genji, chojugiga, shigisan and BDE)
• formerly ancestral heritage of 松永庄新八幡宮 (Wakasa Province)

goryou

• late 12th century saw peak in goryou belief (and peak in fear of these spirits) following hougen and heiji disturbances attributed to vengeful spirits
• counselor yoshio was among those spirits feared in the late 12th c.: according to "The story of a cook who saw the ghost of counselor Tomo", the 11th story of the 27th scroll of konjaku monogatari (ca. 1120), yoshio had become a "god of pestilence"
• according to matsuo, BDE was painted to mollify the potentially dangerous spirit (goryou or onryou) of yoshio
• widely believed that BDE was composed after otemmon burned during large kyoto fire of 1177 and that go-shirakawa ordered the work to pacify the angry spirit of yoshio
• likely commissioned in 1177 by retired emperor go-shirakawa; in the wake of social and military unrest of the hougen (1156) and heiji (1159) disturbances; upheaval was believed to have produced many angry spirits and raised fears about older ones such as yoshio; other examples of artistic works produced to console spirits: kitano tenjin scrolls (spirit of sugawara michizane), kibi daijin nittou ekotoba (kibi no makibi spirit)
• scroll communicates yoshio's regret explicitly and was thus meant to protect against his vengeful will; end of ekotoba reads: [Tomo no Yoshio] set fire to the Oten-mon, placed the blame on Minister Makoto, and said that the minister was guilty. He thought, "Since I am the top counselor, I will surely become minister [in Makoto's place]," but he was instead shown to be guilty. Oh, how he regretted it! (GOMI 1994a, p. 75)

Style and composition

story/cinema/...

1. people moving leftwards with the narrative
2. cinema techniques (zoom...)

• excellent example of narrative painting
• reading from right to left, animated figures are enacting the continuous flow of narrative: conspiracy of gate burning, chance discovery that ban was involved, banishment
• primary mode of composition is grouping of images in leftward procession with figures shown running, held in check by an obstacle (e.g. burning gate) or standing still, facing left or looking back right: but consistently our attention is focused on figures
• famous for revolutionary cinematic quality: sweeping crowd scenes, astounding depiction of conflagration, wonderfully expressive faces; therefore a clear break with style of other court productions such as genji or later murasaki shikibu nikki emaki
• zunahme an gestaltungsflaeche (e.g. in shigisan or BDE) allowed the painter new possibilities to play with perspective, blickführung (e.g. close up, zoom), or Umsetzung der Bewegung; similar to film; only applied in few emakimono since yamato-e dominance was still strong
• together with shigisan, BDE is a "towering monument" to an artistic sensibility thought to have developed near the end of the heian period and prefigures dynamism of medieval illustrative scrolls

• artist combines lively, free flowing outdoor scenes (like in shigisan engi) with cramped indoor scenes dealing with human emotions (as in genji)
• compared to genji (which has short discontinuous segments), BDE depends on continuity of narration with longer pictorial segments

• opening passage is similar to attack on sanjo palace from heiji monogatari emaki: people moving to the left until halted by burning palace; but much faster pace in heiji scroll (flames at top, human action continuing at bottom)

tsukurie/otokoe, Genji/Shigisan

• otokoe; "vigorous realism, boisterous crowds of uninhibited commoners and arson and fistcuffs -> very far from feminine milieu of genji monogatari emaki
• technically it is a blend of tsukuri-e (seen in genji scrolls) with otoko-e (e.g. choju giga, shigisan engi): sketch of figures with calligraphic line (more elegant and controlled than in shigisan engi) but also bright colors are applied thickly almost like in "constructed paint technique" of genji
• continuous illustration colored in tsukuri-e
• lively linear expression, light use of color and active, continuous compositions
• stylistically a mix of genji and shigisan engi: interiors like in genji but with more expressive faces; exteriors like in shigisan especially in crowd scenes of guards and firefighters
• compared to genji's static stylized beauty, BDE is full of action
• BDE occupies middle ground between Genji and Shigisan: life of aristocracy in interior scenes and common people shown openly and frankly; combination of both static (as in genji) and dynamic compositions (shigisan);

common people

• lively free style with skillful depiction of ordinary people
• first representations of common people in their daily life was in emakimono such as BDE
• makes more use of color and devotes more attention to upper classes than shigisan engi emaki
• people from both upper and lower classes (unlike genji)
• unidealized human behaviour is central in shigisan and BDE and heralds new culture in the capital that acknowledged and celebrated all levels of society: by end of heian period, cloistered world of court was beginning to collapse and awareness and interest in greater society demonstrated by these emakimonos can be seen as an attempt to break through the bars of their gilded cage (for at least some of aristocracy)

facial expressions; realistic depection

• direct expression of grief through facial expressions and body language (in grief in otomo household) unlike in genji monogatari emaki where grief is suggested by elements within the composition acting as visual metaphors
• look, facial expressions, and position of figures directly speak of their feelings
• feelings between sorrow and humor (e.g. Ban Dainagon's family in dispair at discovery and another group rejoicing)
• figures portrayed realistically, with fluid lines in free style drawing (typical of tosa family to which Tokiwa mitsunaga belonged)

rest

• often vivid color with carefully drawn details of dress and weaponry
• broad passages of faint blue mist indicate passage of time or venue (as in shigisan engi)

Historiography

The scroll is a valuable source for the study of the development of Japanese narrative, genre and figure painting and has been prized by Seiroku Noma as: sensitive insight into human psychology and a priceless document of the emotions of the men of the Heian capital. It is thought to be a faithful depiction of life and manners in 12th century Kyoto, at the time of its creation, not at the time of the depicted events.

The scene in which Ban Dainagon is escorted on his way to exile in Izu, contains the earliest pictorial evidence for uchigatana, long swords worn in the belt with the blade pointing up. It is valuable as source of information on the shinden-zukuri style of domestic architecture of aristocratic mansions.

The Ban Dainagon Ekotoba was copied by Tanaka Totsugen (1760-1823) as part of the fukko yamato-e (revival yamato-e) movement.

• crucial work for the study of the development of Japanese narrative, genre and figural painting
• considered by Seiroku Noma: sensitive insight into human psychology and a priceless document of the emotions of the men of the Heian capital.

• scrolls depict life and manners at the time they were created (not 866)
• people dressed in costumes of 12th c. (not 9th c.)
• created 300 years after event and therefore thought to be a faithful depiction of social conditions in 12th century kyoto (and not from 866)
• artist must have been familiar with daily lifes of people in kyoto

• valuable as source of info for shinden architectural style

• earliest pictorial evidence for long swords worn blade upward in the belt (uchigatana) is in BDE
• in scene where Ban Dainagon is in an oxcart escorted by officials and warriors on his way to exile in izu, all but two of the men wear swords and two figures in particular have their swords thrust into their belts with the blade up (known later as "katana style")

• BDE was copied by Tanaka Totsugen (1760-1823) as part of the fukko yamato-e (revival yamato-e) movement

scenes

• first scroll without text, other scrolls with two text sections each
• scroll 1: 839.5cm, scroll 2: 858.7cm, scroll 3: 931.7cm
• description of ordinary people (not sure which scene)

First scroll

• reproduction
• opening text passage lost; scroll begins with an illustration: a long passage of figures all running leftward with the flow of the scroll, to be stopped abruptly by the sight of the gate in flames; inside the palace enclosure to the left there are emperor seiwa and his grandfather fujiwara no yoshifusa in the seiryouden discussing the rumour that "a certain minamoto lord" had set the fire; the two decide to withhold action until more is known
• contains two figures in formal court dress whose identity has been discussed since 1930s (one gazing at burning gate, the other kneeling apprehensively on the veranda of a building in which yoshifusa pleads to the emperor on behalf of minister of left); a third character was investigated later; details of theories see

First scene: burning Ōtenmon gate

• covers ca. 3/4 of scroll
• people (police on horseback and residents) rushing towards the gate pouring through the suzuka gate
• crowd stares wide-eyed at burning gate
• description of people (check whether from this scene)

• right of first (Suzuka) gate
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• between first gate and fire
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• fire
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• between fire and second gate
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• mystery character A
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Second scene

the Emperor and Yoshifusa

• mason p104 (scroll 1, scene 2: interior of seiryoden imperial palace; more info in text of that page)
• emperor seiwa grants audience to yoshifusa in the seiryouden (imperial living quarters)
• yoshifusa claims that makoto is innocent
• no text for this scene

• emperor's court
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scroll 2

• NRS

first scene

minamoto no makoto house

• mason 122 (scroll 2: otomo household)
• emperor's envoy running into the house of makoto with the news that he's been pardoned
• makoto is praying to gods on a straw mat in the garden
• tearful women of the house are also praying to the gods and buddhas
• description of makoto praying
• description of people

• Foreword and Imperial messenger
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  2nd scroll (朝廷の使者を迎え混乱する源信邸)

• Minamoto no Makoto praying
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• House of Makoto
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second scene

children quarreling

• children quarreling in the street; parents join in and start to abuse each other
• in the process one reveals that the otemmon fire was set by BD and rumour begins to fly
• a cashier for Ban Dainagon had kicked and tramped on the toneri couple’s son, almost killing him, and had insulted them when they protested
• "son of the cashier of Ban Dainagon and the son of the toneri of the Right Division of the Palace Guards are fighting..."
• children's fight and whispers (with details)
• description of people (check whether from this scene)
• description of ordinary people (children fight, 2 left; and arrest, right)

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scroll 3

• reproduction 1, reproduction 2

first scene

arrest of servant

• servant who revealed secret is arrested by (low ranking) police officers

• arrest and interrogation of servant
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  3rd scroll (連行される舎人); opening scene, rumour spreads in city; description of dogs
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  3rd scroll; manservant is interrogated by police

second scene

police office

• servant confesses to police
• police set out to arrest BD in his mansion
• women of household are in a state of collapse in the sitting room weeping and wailing
• yoshio is arrested, put into an oxcart guarded by police officers and sent into exile
• sentence for otomo lord and grief in the otomo household
• description of BD bedroom (check whether from this scene)
• description of people (check whether from this scene)
• "escort-ing the arrested Ban Dainagon to Awataguchi, before send-ing him to Izu"

• police and messenger
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• tomo no yoshio arrest
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• wailing women at Tomo no Yoshio house
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• garden gate of Tomo no Yoshio house
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• on way to exile
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  伴大納言を連行する検非違使
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sources

• pages 33ff (detailed analysis of scenes)
• Japanese: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

images

• UW-Madison, 1 reproduction, reproduction scroll 3 BW, reproduction scroll 3 color, reproduction scroll 1 BW

References

Bibliography

• Frédéric, Louis (2005). Japan encyclopedia (illustrated ed.). Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-6740-1753-6.
• Kim, Yung-Hee (1994). Songs to make the dust dance: the Ryōjin hishō of twelfth-century Japan. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-08066-9. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
• Mason, Penelope E. (2004). History of Japanese Art (2nd (paperback) ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0131176010.
• Matsuo, Kenji (2001). "Explaining the "Mystery" of Ban Dainagon ekotoba". Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 28 (1/2). Nanzan University: 103–131. JSTOR 30233678. {{cite journal}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
• Shibusawa, Keizo (2008) [1964]. 絵卷物による日本常民生活絵引 [Pictopedia of Everyday Life in Medieval Japan] (PDF) (English translation). Kanagawa University. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
• Shively, Donald H.; McCullough, William H. (1999). The Cambridge History of Japan: Heian Japan. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-5212-2353-9. Retrieved 2011-03-27.