Ise Monogatari (Tales of
Ise),
Ise Monogatari is a
collection of Japanese poems written in the early Heian period
(794-1185) but the writing lasted for more than 50 years. In the
beginning, the hero, believed to be an aristocrat, Ariwara Narihira
(825-880), was a romantic poet and the tales were written as a form
of biography. But this theory was overturned by the fact that many
of the poems were written by some other unknown persons later after
Ariwara’s death. The tales include love, travel, game and
friendship, etc. and the tales were increased during the period and
it is composed of 125 short episodes today. The tales were highly
valued by the people and greatly influenced “The Tales of Genji” in
later years.
The Tales of Ise were so
popular in Edo period (1615-1868) that there were more than 100
different “Ise Monogatari” with illustrations. Our “Four Seasons”
Maki-e collection was selected from those hundreds of pictures by
Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter with the episodes, and the Maki-e
artist is Mr. Masanori Omote, a master from Ishikawa prefecture.
Winter Ono-no An,
The hermitage of Ono. “Though the Snow”, Episode #83
There was an old man, who worked for Prince Koretaka. One day
Koretaka unexpectedly became a priest. The old man walked into
the heavy snow and made his way wanted to meet him at his
hermitage. Koretaka looked so boring and sad that he talked
with him about the past. The old man went back at that night
with tear. The prince neglected the reality as a dream and
wonder if he thought of the past?
