hanging scroll; painting BM-1942-0509-0.6

Period:Unknown Production date:1700 (circa)
Materials:paper
Technique:painted
Subjects:audience/assembly carriage/coach equestrian emperor/empress musician boat/ship official book/newspaper
Dimensions:Height: 177 centimetres (Full scroll) Height: 114 centimetres (each) Width: 50.80 centimetres (each)

Description:
One from a set of eight paintings, hanging scrolls originally mounted as a folding screen. Scenes at the Chinese court illustrating the deeds of virtuous and wicked emperors; based on the Chinese book ‘Dijian tushuo’ (“Illustrated Model Emperors”). Ink and colour on paper. 1. Emperor in carriage 2. Emperor and lady musician on horseback 3. Imperial audience 4. High officials holding tablets before Emperor 5. Ceremonial hoeing 6. First Qin Emperor carried in palanquin, with ship behind 7. Emperor and Empress 8. Books being bought.
IMG


Comments:This scene is closely based on the illustration to 遣使求仙 in ‘Teikan zusetsu’, part II, vol. 1 (Teikan zusetsu, vol. 5), with the right and left parts of the illustration rearranged into a vertical composition. ‘Dijian tushuo’ 帝鑑図説 (Jp: Teikan zusetsu), by the Ming scholar Zhang Juzheng 張居正 (1525-82), was published with illustrations in 1572, and presented to Emperor Shenzong 神宗 (Wanli Emperor, r. 1572-1620). It contained 81 stories of virtuous rulers, and 36 of wicked emperors. The book reached Japan by the end of the sixteenth century, and Toyotomi Hideyori (1593-1615) had it copied and republished in 1606.