Artwork

The Emperor's Attendance at the Horse Race: Episode from the Tale of Eiga (Eiga Monogatari)

The Emperor's Attendance at the Horse Race: Episode from the Tale of Eiga (Eiga Monogatari) is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1200 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1976.164
Credit line: Gift of Herbert F. Leisy in memory of Helen Leisy

About this work

Overview

The work, titled The Emperor’s Attendance at the Horse Race: Episode from the Tale of Eiga (Eiga Monogatari), is a painted illustration depicting a lively equestrian scene. Small, dynamic figures on horseback populate a rugged landscape rendered in subdued earth tones of brown, green and red, while a vertical band of black calligraphy runs along the left edge.

Subject & Meaning

The image illustrates a moment from the Eiga Monogatari, a 11th‑century Japanese narrative chronicling court life. It captures the emperor’s presence at a horse race, a ceremonial event that underscores imperial patronage of sport and the spectacle of aristocratic leisure.

Technique & Style

Executed in the traditional Japanese painting mode of the Kamakura period, the piece employs ink and mineral pigments on paper. The composition relies on flat areas of muted colour and a stylised, almost schematic representation of figures, characteristic of yamato‑e narrative scrolls.

History & Provenance

Created during the Kamakura era (1185–1333), the painting likely formed part of a larger illustrated manuscript of the Eiga Monogatari. Its survival in a museum collection suggests it was preserved as a valuable example of courtly visual narrative, though specific ownership records remain limited.

Context

Horse races were a popular aristocratic pastime in Heian and early Kamakura Japan, often staged for imperial audiences. The scene reflects contemporary courtly interests in display, competition, and the reinforcement of hierarchical order through public spectacles.

Legacy

As a visual record of a literary episode, the work provides insight into the interplay between text and image in medieval Japan. It continues to inform scholars of narrative illustration practices and the cultural significance of equestrian events in the period’s courtly life.