Detached segment from an illustrated handscroll of Heike kindachi soshi

Imbued with literary quality and evocative beauty, the painting and calligraphy of this handscroll segment embody the subtle aesthetic ideals fostered in the Japanese imperial court. Heike kindachi soshi recalls the former glory of the Taira family, which was defeated by the Minamoto family in the late twelfth century.

A complete version of the narrative does not survive. In this segment, a solitary courtier plays a flute from a moonlit veranda. The painting is delicate in execution and faithful to the descriptive and emotional nuances of the text, which describes a courtier's visit to the imperial palace where late one night, a poet named Kokiji brought him flowers. Thereupon, the courtier, leaning against a pillar and splendidly dressed in blue and crimson, played his flute so beautifully that the empress dowager was overcome with emotion. A cloudless moon was shining, and the dew on the ground looked white with its reflection.
 
Rendered in ethereal ink lines and ink wash, the work is an important early example of Japanese painting in the hakubyo manner, a mode that continued for several centuries.