THE NARA AND HEIAN PERIODS

THE DESIGNER'S GUIDE TO JAPANESE

Here are 146 patterns from the textiles,

ceramics, lacquerware and enamel work of
the Nara (7 10-794) and Heian (794-1 1 Bb)
periods. The designs from these early eras
have an elementatbeauty and vitality of their
own, but they also show the beginnings ol
motifs and themes that reappear through
out the history of Japanese art. Thesr:
ancient designs have a graphic power th;rt
makes them a fabulous source of inspiratr()rl
for commercial artists, graphic design(:r:i
and anyone who appreciates the magir; *,f
ancient Japanese art. IIi?AI{AAI\I UGM

JEANN
ISBN t] Original
Tak

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THE NARA AND HEIAN PERIODS

THE DESIGNER'S GUIDE TO JAPANESE

ERNS
JEANNE ALLEN
Original book concept
by Takashi Katano

THAMES AND HUDSON

 I CONTENTS

lntroduction 3 Mist and Pine Tiees 32 l,rri,rllt,,:,

66 Chinese Phoenix 103
Heian Court Scene 5 Ancient Music al lnstruments 33 Ii ri,rIIotusPetalS 67 Phoenixes, Tigers, and Dragons -_- 104
Scattered rrees and Birds 6 Gagaku (Elega nt Court Music) 33 I r ril rirr l Virte Arabesque 68 Rosen Phoenix _ 105
Butterf lies and Flowers 7 Vine Karakusa 34 l.,1,, ,ril( | I rf f it KafakUSa _ 69 Phoenix and Peony 105
Exotic Fruit in Arabesque lnkin Karakusa 35 i i,,rllrernum Vines-
--_ 70 Pagodas 106
Tsu g i-sh ikish i - 8 Sumi-e Karakusa 36 i rrir;, VtttCS 71 Sta rs 107
S ei g a i h a Tsu g i -sh i ki sh i
-7 I Karako and Flower Karakusa -_-.--- 37 F titnt()ses in Arabesque - 72 Lin ked Sta rs 108
Watermelo n Tsu g i -sh i ki sh i 9 Karako 37 *;s Stitch Karakusa
{.ltr 73 Tree Peony in Arabesque 109
Tortoise Shel I Ha nabashi 9 Karyo-Binga 38 Vttrnli a nd Da ndelions 74 Japanese Tree Peony 110
Zogan with Flowers 9 Diamond-Shaped Links ,
39 Lri, lrt:tr ;tnd Karakusa _ 75 Buddhist Flowers 111
Heike Geometric 10 Chrysanthemu m Roundels .---- 40
40 r r r, rl l ,ltttgrnS
- 76, 77 Hibiscus 112
Scrolling Lotus 10 Ki kko (Tortoise S hel ls) 41 ,l 78 Scattered Pine Needles 113
Shishi (Lion) and Bussoge (lmaginary N ine-D ot Kikko 42 i r I lwrll 78 114
Flowers) 10 Tree and Native Plants 43 I ,i,,uld Flowering Vines-80 Water Birds
Fish 10 114
Ma rq uetry Rou ndels
Peacock a nd Karakusa _ 43
4 "( 'r; itnd Watermarks
--- 81 Water Plants and Birds 115
11
Koyasan Twill Pattern 44 r,i{ l:; ,tnd Fish g2 Scattered Leaves - 116
Raden Bussoge 11
lvy Leaves 45 i,, ,'llrony Karakusa 83 Deer
Heian Court Pleasures 12 117
Lotus Flowers in Maki-e 46 llrriki Lotus Sutra 84 lnsects and Watermelons
Autumn Flowers 13 118
47 r ' 11lrlc Animals in Roundels _ gs Ma ples 119
Autumn Flowers and Animals __---- 13
Pagoda, Clouds, and Dragons I ,i. rr;rtr)Ol TaSUki
48 86 Branded Horses 120
Thistle Karakusa (scrolling Vines) 14 Children and Bus soge 49 i,,,I IileS 87 Snow Rings
Ashide ( Hidden Writing ) Pattern 15 121
- Flowers and Butterflies
- 50 II rrrrl Mirror Bus soge 88, 89 Dia monds 122
Ashibune (Reeds and Boat) 16
comma shapes and Karakusa _--- 51 l,,rr;ock Polygon 90 Flowing Clouds
lnbutsu (The sta m p of Budd ha ) -- 17 123
Birds and Flowering Plants 52 I ), rulrle Animals 90
Woodblock Scroll Flowing Water and La ndsca pe 124
18
Clouds and Cranes 19
Lattice and Flow er Shapes --- s
53 i ,t, il r tond waves 91 Flowering Karakusa 125
Lion and Karaku sa 54 i lr rr rting Pattern 91
Double Roundels and Karakusa _20 Shippo Brocade
-
55 r .rn tsrocade Descriptions of Color plates 126
Ytntato-e in Roundels - 92
21 ,\/(rrr-Days-of-the-Week Stars
Trees and Deer 56 g2 Glossary 128
Roundels and Small, Flowered
,r
--
sa
lsland, Waves, and Birds so I rrrr ltlhist Karakusa 933 Bibliography 132
Ka ra ku 22
Watermelon 57 ,'rrrt)s in Arabesque 94
4
Phoenixes in Roundel a nd Karakusa _29
Phoenixes in Roundels and Shippo Zuicho (Chinese Phoenixesl 57 I lrr;rting Karakusa 955
(Linked Gems) 24 Zuicho and Flower Karakusa ----- s8 t' .uto Karakusa 966
Birds in Roundels on Lattice _ 2s - ----
Zuicho a nd Flowering Plants Sg ,ir , rl)esque with Exotic Fruit _ 97
Hanabashi (Flower Diamond Check) Marbling 60 i lrrr ls Eating Flowers 98
in Roundels 26 Sparrow and Bamboo 61 I lower Cars 98
Hanabashi Weavers' Guide Bamboo and Birds 61 I lower Tasuki 99
Dragons in Roundel 28 Tasuki Hanabashi 62 Flowers and Chinese Phoenix l OO
Nara Dragons 29 Tatewaku (wandering stripes) _-- 63 Hiyoku Hanabashi 100
Momiji (Maples)
-27 30 Da ndelions 64 Flower Fusenryo 101
Fruit Karakusa 31 Flower Lattices 65 Hanabashi Fusenryo 102
 I INIRODUCTION
' , ,, { )nl trip to Japan, I found myself
( Although sr.naller, ,He,ian-kr7o was an
, , i ,l rrrtr rn()gated by the young and
i, r,i ,',rvo [)resident Of a Japanese trad-
; i , r rt), rny who desperately wanted
, i, ,r i r, r( )n on new American market
r rI
, ,,,l Wtrcn Ijokingly protested the
i ,1, , r(,',c l;rck of originality in developing
ir i i\ivn lrroducts, he said, "You don't
',,,,1, r',l.urrl our business way. lt is the
, ,r I , ,l ortr compahy members to go out
i, iirr ,nt.il ond Europe and find some
*.*t-.oaa. -,-. ,' * f . 'r$^-rlI*"',O'*{'-il+r.:at:;+ i ,, I tlrnr(,, then biing it back to Japan so
, illrrnprove it. Then, finally, you will
ril rr,,\/crr betterthan before."
I I rr'; l)rccise and heartfelt summation
i rlri' l.rllanese business genius of the
Any copy of this book issued by the publisher as
a paperback is sold subiect to the condition that it
r r r lrr, rr lor of the twentieth century also
, rr, rlcly describes the cultural and
shall not by way of trade or otherwise be lent, resold,
r, t1r {foniusof the Heian period more
hired out or otherwise circulated without the pub-
,r rrr,r tlrousand years earlier. Popularly
lisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover
r n (lr:rl 3s the golden age of Japan, the
other than that in which it is published and without
i, i nr l)oriod (794-1185) began as a
a similar condition including these words being
,Ir,,n ()opy of China'S elegant T'ang
imposed on a subsequent purchaser.
lily (618-906) and ended as a
I I r rr , rlly independent society whose
First published in Great Britain in 1989 by
i ',lr( ) irchievements and originality still
Thames and Hudson Ltd, London
,, tlrt: rest of the world.
I lrc Lrrilliant T'ang dynasty was a
First published in the United States 1989 by
',, ,r ror r:; time for artistic pursuits-
Chronicle Books
rrr rtr rg, music, calligraphy, and poetry
Copyright O 1987 by Kawade Shobo Shinsha
r rr:;lred. The Japanese must be
, lrrrrrcc1 for their discrimination and good
Publishers.
r r 1,, rrr f irst identifying, then adopting,
,i r, I lrrrally ref ining the best aspects of
English text @ 1989 by Chronicle Books
i u rr I oUlture. The first contact with China
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may
,, r rr r ed in the N a ra period (710-7 94\ ,
,r r, I lry the time Japanese Emperor
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or rnechanical, including photo-
i rrnrrrLl had moved the chrysanthemum
I I rr( )rrc f rom Nara to Heian-kyo (now
copy, recording or any other inforrnation storage and
r ,,r rlo) in 794 to escape the bigotry and
retrieval system, without prior permission in writing
'r rtr r( lres of the Buddhist priests, his court
from the publisher.
i it I rlcveloped a seemingly insatiable
rtii)()ttte for all things Chinese.
Oh-cho Mon-yo Jiten by Takashi Katano was first pub-
t .lrinese monks, intellectuals, and
lished in Japan by Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers.
rrlr:;l:;--0s well as merchants and gov-
, r rr rrent officials-were enthusiastically
Edited by Terry Ryan
i,'r r )rVed and emulated by the Heian
Translation by Nobata Mitsui
rrur I Heian dignitaries, in turn, visited
Printed in Japan
i , rrr!l China, as did young Japanese
, lrolars and courtiers, who regarded
rlrr: lrilgrimage as the final stage of
ilrr rrr educatiOn.
otherwise exact.replica of the T'ang
capital'of Chlang-ah and "perfectly accom-
modated the emperor ap.d the several
hundr:ed nqbtes thqt mbde Up his court.
The Heian wor[d olisidfffi. imperial city
existed but was e onsidbred a barbaric
netherland'tb bO Svoided a't,all costs. For a
Heian patrician, th"e Worst possible punish-
rhent was banishment f rom the charmed,
peaceful cirile of .the imperial compound.
The guardiarts"of Heian,ky0's tranquil-
ity were provlncial warrior tribes, such as
the Taira (Heike) and Minamoto (Gengi)
clans. But because these defenders were
considered almost subhuman, their
services were rarely noted, let alone
rewarded. (This snobbery ultimately
proved fatal for the aristocrats, who
eventually lost everything to the military
they had used and despised.)
For the elite surrounding the Heian
throne, life focused exclusively on aes-
thetic pursuits. The business of being an
aristocrat required a mastery of poetry
writing, calligraphy, and music. Elegance
and sensitivity in all things-especially
dress and manners*were essential for
living within the court. Administrative
duties and politics had low priorities in an
environment ruled by beauty, so
statecraft, like war, was delegated to
others-once again to the detriment of
the throne.
ln spite of their over-ref inement and
narrow attitudes, the Heian aristocrats'
emphasis on cultural accomplishments
stimulated an'outpouring of artistic
treasures that gave this golden age of
Japan its justly deserved name.
By the ninth century, the glory of the
T'ang dynasty began to fade, as did the
interest of the Heian court in life outside
the walls of Heian-ky0. Bored with their
Chinese-look-alike tives, the aristocrats
began a process of modification and
refinement that was to continue uninter-
rupted for 300 years, until a perfectly
crafted Japanese aesthetic had been f ully
realized. So distinct was this new Heian
look that Japanese painting with Japa-
nese subject matter came to be known as
3
 hand-
comes from the iJiaries, narrative
yamato-e, to distinguish it f rom kara-e u.rJrrt @maki'mono), and novels
Most of
ipuin,i.g with a Chinese theme)' we liirosatari) of the Period isr!:fhe"P:t
qualities Tale of
iF e tf,eriatic and stylistic famous work of the period
no* associate with Japanese culture- Genii, a late-tenth-century novel.about
streams'
Oanks of elegant irises, f lowing tf;; ;;rrtlv life and loves of the charming
of
pri'stine images J!9 fgu,r.sqasoltl^. Murasaki
soarlng Prince Genji, written by Lady
dramatic clouds of black birds Shikibu, a member of the same elitist
u.rort the picture plane-are trea-
diagonally ,o.i.ty. Now considered a national
history
ptoducts of the Heian legacY' tui.. Geniibreathes color into a '
Women of the Heian court exerted whose onty-tangible heritage consists
of
T'ang
more inf luence than their Chinese faded, tattered frandscrolls and fragments
largely because they were
cou nterparts, of once-beautif ul brocades'
(by marriage)
used to extenO aiO infiltrate We know from LadY Murasaki's
narra-
Ueian family power cliques'
The Fujiwara polygamous society
tive that hers was a
family, principal suppliers of imperial in which pnarriages *ttJalways arranged
period'
consorts Ortlng most of the Heian for r.*Jtont of politics or
pedi-
acquired po*ui pri marily through, their -rrrally
gree. Once the requisite heir was born'
*o**n. By the middle of the ninth tocen- be to*.u.r, both Partners were f ree tothe
tury, the throne and the era began .ngug. in multiple liaisons' Unless left 1 r Heian Court Scene
the Fujiwara-Heian period b-ecause rarely
citieO
to Fujiwara bride moved to the court' she
most emperors had been born her parents' home, so.marital status was (lovetous of the women's sumptuous social activlty, a joint effort that combined
and had married Fujiwara wives' , lr r )ris, the men of the cou rt bega n
mothers often a formatitY of bloodline' to the color and composition skills of the
powerful members of the
Being u.iiu., Heian society was so intensely
nar- r,lopt equally elaborate costumes. Face aristocratic parnting masters @shil and
the *o,'t'n had enthusiasm and an seems all
court,
to the cissistic that its artistic output 1i.vr(Jer, rouge, and scent became fash- the finishing work of the court artisans.
,pp.iite for cultural pursuits equal the mor* toiriouut.. The social
responsi- r,rrirt;le for men. By the mid-Heian period, While many of the patterns in this book
Unfortunately, the male-oriented so time- irl ,lr's dress became so cumbersome that
men's. bilities of the aristocrats were come from early textiles and lacquerware,
Chinesewritingsystemofideographs that theY rl rr ,rc wos very little room for moving about. the majority were first used as back-
to the consuming and demanding
known as kanii*as unsympathetic could havJhad little time for
other inter- I iirrce mobility had become a problem ground designs for emaki-mono. The
gender and inadequate to express f urther' the r,l (lirect communication a social taboo,
female ests. To complicate matters designs were laid down on the ryoshi
their intensely romantic moods'
To rl r,' lrrr:lirninary work of courting waS
aristocrats'abhorrenceofdirectconfron- using stenciling or rubbing techniques.
the women of the ,i ,11, r tltrough the passing of waka poetry.
remedy this situatlon, tation necessitated an elaborate
system The papers were then decorated with
embraced and developed a new to the elite' i I r, ,,;c .11-syllable poems owed their
court of proto.oi O.tipherable only mother-of-pearl, bits of mica, and gold or
written language known as kana '
a r',trnce to kana script and were conse-
Themannered,other-worldlinessofcourt silver paint. After this decoration had set,
syttabary introduced by it
8-charu.6t life was made even stranger
because , t r, ,r rtly itn original product
of the time. the paintings were added and narrative or
Kobo Daishi at the lit tatami rooms lr, rlcrlly composed in moments of poetry was written on the paper in spi-
Buddhist Priest was lived at night in dimly
The
encourrg[;.nt of EmPeror Kammu' divided by f ragile painted screens'
r,, r,llrl,rrrcd sensitivity, waka poems were dery kana calligraphy.
kana syltibary-often cited as the most ,i r ,rr lr:rcrJ the perfect instruments
for The patterns seen here f rom the Nara
Becauseofthescreens'suitorsrarelysaw
important achievement of the
Heian and black- rir rrrrrrrcilting the subjective emotions
the heavily painted white faces and early Heian periods are clearty either
period reed Japanese calligraphy f rom
the women theY I i l ,, , Ilte poems were crafted to display copies of Chinese works or thematic
-f lacquered teeth of
more pro- , 1,, { I r, r;lcverness and mono-no-aware
totalrelianceonChinesewriting.lnitially
the romanced. lt was considered adaptations of T'ang art. As the period
used exclusively by women to
express , r ,rtrvrly to the transient and sad
vocativetoidentifyalovedonebyher 20 moves forward and the process of refine-
intimacies of Oo'estic lite' kana
was used
scent or the variegated colors
of the i rr rr1,,, rl lile)-the most highly regarded ment and stylization takes over, a defin-
diaries nd waka poetry' , ,, li )trol the CUltUre.
f irst to produce brocaded
a
silk kimonos she wore beneath able delicacy and vitality begin to appear
men needed to know kana to have I Ii, ' ln roljI examples of the tremendous
Since outer robes' in the desig ns.
dealings with 1 i il il rr ; rtf waka poetry were exqui-
any social or romantic R woman usually wore her
court dress r
The Chinese, when asked, often
women, the new language was ql
i*- not removing it i I,,'rncti onto handscrolls known as
relegating kanii to the for several days at a time' express chagrin at the obvious wholesa.le
mediat' and her clothing ti t ntt)n(), 147hiCh COmbined wAka, borrowing of their classical heritage. The
even to tt*.p. Both she
tedious matters of politics and government'
',CCeSS, to avoid r , (r l{ '( ( )r,rted papers), a nd yamato-e
to were heavily scented' not simPly Japanese, however, are satisfied that
The importance of kana calligraphy beingoffensivebuttobeidentifiable
, i trr rr | \A/rllr ;r Japanese theme). The what they borrowed they improved
and preservation of the
in i r, t ()l r'ttt,tki-mOnO WaS an impOftant
the development to any ,riior properly educaled immeasurably-to the benefit of all.
Heian culture cannot be overstated' niceties of court'
the society
Much oi *f,ut we know about
4
 x l}rrtterflies and Flowers
ru
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itr*
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{ ! o,,lri. Fruit in Arabesque

2 r Scattered Tiees and Birds
 B I Tortoise Shell Hanabashi

6 r Se igaiha Tsugi-shikishi 9 t Zdgan with Flowers

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1 0 r Heike Geomet ric r Scrolling Lotus

14 1 Marquetry
Roundels

l{iiffi
12 a Shishi (Lion) and Busslge
(lmaginary Flowers)

13 r Fish 'l
5 r RadenBussdge
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17 t Autumn Flowers 1B r Autumn Flowers and Animals

ln the Heian period's Fujiwara era
(897-1185), Japanese artists began to
move away from Chinese influence and
toward a distinctively Japanese style. This
fine-line composition of autumn flowers
and grasses is free from the still-life
1 6 r Heian Court Pleasures symmetry and bilateralism typical of
t2
Chinese design.
While pre-Heian designs borrowed both
their style and subject mattei from the
Chinese, this later design from The
Anthology of the 36 Poets is made up of
pla nts ind igenous to J a Pa n: susuki
(pampas grass) , hagi (bush clover), and
ominaeshi (a yellow-f lowered perennial).
N

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19 r Thistle Karakusa (Scrolling Vines) 20 t Ashide (Hidden Writing) Pattern

Brought to Japan along the silk road from
Persia and routed through lndia, China,
and Korea, florid arabesque designs such
as this were greatly favored by Heian
artisans for the decoration of ceramics,
lacquer, and textiles.
Ashide patterns contained hidden writinE
in the form of kana script that was
ingeniously worked into the painted
composition . Ashide was characteristic of
ya m ato-e-Japa nese pa i nting conta i ni ng
typical Japanese subject matter, such as
the soaring birds in this design
t5
 i)

21 | Ashibune (Reeds and Boat)
This design is taken fro m The Anthotogy
of Shigeyuki , one section of The Anthot-
ogy of the 36 Poefs, a revered Heian work
of a rt a nd literatu re created in 11 12 to
honor Emperor lbba The 39 volumes
that make up the anthology represent
the collective efforts of Japan's major
22
poets and the court's most skilled cal-
ligraphers, who executed the works on
ryoshi (Japan*s'e decorated papers). The
anthology remained with the imperial
family until the sixteenth century, when it
was given to the Nishi Honganji Temple.
/-'\ 4l
22 t lnbutsu (The Stamp of Buddha)
Sometimes used to stamp paper copies
of Buddhist sutras (prayers), this design
was (and is today) regarded as an auspi-
cious symbol. The temples used these
religious stamps to generate revenue; for
a donation, the Heian faithful could buy
the hope of good health, many sons, or
luck in business. Today, temples are still
frequented by the ardent, including the
not-so-faithf ul young known as shin-jinrui
("new human beings"), who enthusiasti-
cally purchase charms that promise good
examination scores or romance.
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23 . Woodblock Scroll 24 1Clouds and Cranes
While the basic scroll motif was originally These floating clouds and cranes were
borrowed f rom China, this version has used as the base pattern for the poetry
clea rly been assimilated a nd reinterpreted papers af The AnthologY of Hon-amigire,
in a recognizably Japanese style. Set on f rom The AnthologY of the'36 Poets. The

the diagonal and drawn with a free and crane is a tra itional good luck symbol
open hand, this utilitarian design has been and is used to decorate everything from
used for centuries to decorate textiles. kimono to wrapping Paper. 19
l8
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25 . Double Roundels and Karakusa 26 . Yamato-e in Roundels
This arabesque pattern synthesizes the After assimilating a wealth of cultural
diverse external influences that combined stimulation during the cosmopolitan Nara
to create what has become recognized as period, Japanese artisans of the Heian
early Japanese art of the Nara period period turned inward and developed their
(710-794). The delicacy and flow of the own artistic idioms. This pattern dis-
pattern suggest the artistry to come in the penses with the overused Chinese refer-
Heian period (7 94-1185) ents and concentrates on a f resh and 2l
elegant simplicity.
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27 tRoundels and Small, Flowered 28 . Phoenixes in Roundel and

Karakusa
Although few fragrnents of textiles and
poetry papers survive f rom the culturally
rich and inventive Heian court, the diaries
meticulously kept by court aristocrats
describe court life and protocol in inti-
mate detail. lt was the job of the courtier
to oversee the ceremonies and to docu-
ment their every facet-from the position-
ing of the participants to the clothing they
wore*as a guide for the next generation.
This design might well have appeare as
decoration on one of the ceremonial robes.
Karakusa
First introduced into Japan on cloth and
paper printed in the batik (wax-resist)
method, this distinctively Chinese design
is an abstract image of two interlocking
phoenixes. Always an important image in
the decorative arts, the phoenix achieved
its greatest glory as the crowning touch
on the architecturally brilliant Phoenix
Hall, the centerpiece of Byodoin, the
Fujiwara estate. Completed in 1053, the
estate is considered to be the ultimate
fusion of Heian religious fervor and
aristocratic sPlendor. 23
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29 .Phoenixes in Roundels and
Shippd (Linked Gemsl
The linked gems that form the back-
ground of this design are a traditional
Japanese pattern that is still used today
to decorate obi , as well as everyday cloth-
ing. Elegant roundels add sophistication
and formality to the pattern.
a
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30 r Birds in Roundels on Lattice
Edo designers delighted in mixing the
elegant with the mundane to create a
fashion jolt. The seeds of this impulse
may have been planted by the Heian
aftisans who created patterns like this
one, floating elegant roundels and exotic
birds on common lattice grids.
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31 t Hanabashi (Flower Diamond 32 t Hanabashi Weavers' Guide

Check) in Roundels
Widely used by Heian artisans, hanabashi
was a favorite decoration for clothing and
personal objects. The delicacy and reso-
lution anticipate Kamakura (118b-1338)
designs and suggest that the pattern
dates from the late Heian period.
This is a clever adaptation of the pattern
guide used by the weavers to execute the
difficult roundels. The design has a sim-
ple, lighthearted quality that is more akin
to the Edo mentality than the Heian,
indicating that this was probably a later
version of an early court theme.
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33 r Dragons in Roundel
The dragon, ofi imaginary creature like
the phoenix, was adopted by the Japa-
nese from Chinese culture. Symbolic of
strength and ferocity, this fire-breathing
image was greatly favored by the military
during the Kamakura period to decorate
clothing and personal implements. This
fine-line Heian design, with the dragons
rhythmically worked into a triangular
motif within the roundel, was probably
used to decorate lacquer or textiles.
34 t Nara Dragons
The obvious Chinese character of this
design suggests that it is older than the
previous example, perhaps dating back to
the Nara perriod. Here, the dragons are
worked like arabesques to create the
roundel naturally. Even without the
banded perimeter on the pattern, the
roundel would be obvious. The wooden,
two-dimensional character of the design
strongly suggests that the pattern was
copied directly f rom a tapestry imported
from China. While the design itself is
satisfactory, the execution is uninspired.
29
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Maple leaves figure largely in both the art
and the poetrY of the Heian Period-
colors, shapes, and movement from tree
to ground were lyrically recorded in
minute detail. Maple viewing and the
resulti ng waka poetry were the focus of
36 r Fruit Karakusa
Heian artists, tired of overused Cltir t():;r
themes and unconcerned abou[ ;tttlltt:rt
ticity, created their own images tll Cxoltt
flora and fauna from faraway lartcl:;
:

Although the leaf in this design is itt l; t1 rl(]r

from the Japanese banana leaf , tlto lrrtrl
is completelY imaginarY.
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30 Heian court life in autumn. I

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37 : Mist and Pine Tiees
Heian aristocrats strove for a balance of
body and mind, sometimes described as
kokoro. A person with kokoro was sensi-
tive to beauty and life and displayed this
quality in actions, in dress, and, perhaps
most important, in the writing of poetry.
The most elevated poems came in the
s7
l 38
poet's recognition of an emotion momen-
tarily ref lected in nature. This same
impulse was translated into art, where
poetic moments, such as pines in the
mist, became favorite images for the
decoration of court robes.
r Ancient Musical lnstruments
Elegant court music lgagaku) was an
integral part of the aristocrat's:life. All
members of the court were expected to
be proficient on an array of instruments,
including kofo h stringed instrument),
f lute, and biwa (lute)-all instruments
adopted f rom the Chinese court.
39 r Gagaku (Elegant Court Music)
Considering the serious nature of most
Heian art, this charming design of tradi-
tional musical instruments and floating
ribbons is a delightful surprise. The artist
has a ptly expressed the im porta nce of
music in the Heian court and the obvious
pleasure it provided
33
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40 r VineKarakusa 41 t Inkin Karakusa
The immensely popular scrol!ing vine One of the reasons for simplifying designs
patterns came f rom China os,elsborate, in the late Heian period was to accommo-
embellished designs. Over time, the date the po-pularity of silver and gold foil
Japanese simplif ied and ref ined most embellishments on brocade. For this inkin
impor,ted patterns to suit their own tastes. process, gold leaf is directly applied or
Here, the karakusa has been reduced to a stamped onto the cloth-
simple vine.
34
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42 tSumi-e Karakusa
This striking design is a black-and-white
ink painting (sumi-e) that originated as a
maki-e desigR on lacquer, in which the
motif was defined by sprinkling gold dust
on the wet lacquer. This version is surpris-
ingly modern, considering that the image
was probably created in the late Heian
44
period. The pattern, which may have
decorated a special box or screen, has an
enchanting rhythm and ftow that identify
it as one of the finest of its period.
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43 ) Karako and Flower Karakusa
Subtitled "Children in Old Chinese
.
Garment5," this pattern shows karako,
blithe spirits borrowed from Chinese fairy
tales and popular characters in Heian
na rratives. Th is pa rticu la r pattern is
drawn from the poetry papers known as
The Anthology of Kokin Waka (905).
44 : Karako
Karako, Chinese children , are drawn here
in a clear and easy hand, adding a light-
hearted dimension to the design. These
urchins dressed in opulent brocades were
a favorite theme among Heian artists,
who used them as subjects in screen and
scroll decoration 37

W'Z
45 . Karyd-Binga
The karyo-binga is an imaginary bird wlth
a sweet and beautiful singing voice that is
often mentioned in Buddhist sutras. Such
characters were a common part of Heian
religious life, which freely mixed Chinese
Buddhism wlth Japanese Shintojsm.
38 \\\
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46 | Diarnond-shaped Links
At first glance, this pattern might resem-
ble a spacy houndstooth perfect for the
aggressive clothing of today's 12-t1ear-
olds. lt is actually a variation of the
matsukawa bishi designs brightly dyed
- by the dia-
patterns that were inspired 46\
rnond shapes on pine cones.
39
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ln the mid-Heian period, a double-weaving Woven patterns like this charmin g kikko

s u
or jacquard process was developed that design were, of necessity, geometric in
allowed artisans to create embroidered appearance. The hexagonal tortoise shell
and shaded effects in textile designs. patterns were one category of ylsoku-
ln this family crest belonging to the
imperial court, positive and negative
images emphasize the chrysanthemum
patterns that were specifically designed
for use on the ceremonial garments worn
at the Heian court.
nl[r 6Dltu)l(tl )T(
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in the rou ndel.

49 .Nine-D ot Kikkd
Tortoise shell patterns became very
popular among the aristocrats early in the
Heian period. These hexagonal lattice
patterns often enclosed flower motifs, but
here, nine aligned dots form a simple
version of the design. This interpretation
was probably used as the woven pattern
I
49
for an aristocrat's outer court robe. The
strong geometric simplicity of the pattern
h.as given it the integrity to,survive the
tides of taste throughout the centuries to
the present, where it can still be seen
decorating textiles and ceramics.
50 r Tree and Native Plants
ln the mid-Heian period, embroidery
became a popular decoration,for the lav-
ish wardrobes of the extravagant Fujiwara
women. Rivaling the fineness of staid
woven silks, embroidery often used spare
designs like this one to offer an innovative
fashion statement.
51 r Peacock and Karakusa
This design is an adaptation of kara-
nishiki, a silk brocade woven in China and
imported into Japan during the Nara and
early Heian periods. Very fashionable
among the nobility, kara-nishiki was
precious and, therefore, used only for the
most visible garments or outer wear.
43
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52 t
Kdyasan Twill Pattern
During the reign of Emperor Kammu
1*z81-806),.the purer doctrines of Bud-
dhism were emphasized. One of the most
revered priests of this period was Kobo
Daishi, who established a cultural center
on Koyasan (Mt. Koya). Here, priests
wove Koya brocades and silks that were
used as covers for court valuables and as
mounts for scroll paintings. This simple
twill pattern, in which four identical
motifs meet at different angles to create
square, was one of the weaving designs
used by the Koya priests.
53 r lvy Leaves
During the Heian period, gold and silver gold foil was artfully stamped onto black
embellishment on lacquer, textiles, and lacquer. Even then, the pattern, designed
ceramics reached the peak of popularity, to decorate a box containing the sutras of
and the costumes and personal effects of Heike, was considered a court treasure.
a the cou rt a ristocracy ref lected the f inest
examples of this extravagance. ln this
delicate design of cascading ivy leaves,
45
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54 t Lotus Flowers in Maki-e 55 r Flower and Plant Splash

Buddhist priests held significant power in Maki-e is a decorating technique devel-
a society where ch u rch a nd state were oped in the late Heian period in which
not separate. Buddhist art and imagery metallic dust (in this case, gold) is sprin-
th us f lowed f reely a nd invaded even the kled onto wet lacquer to create a design.
secular art of the period. This gold leaf While metallics were a popular Chinese
design features Buddhist flowers-some decoration, this particular treatment is
real, some imaginary. disti nctively Ja pa nese.
46
56 I Pagoda, Clouds, and Dragons
Another artfully executed design con-
nected with The Lotus Sutra of Heike, this
design shows a strong Chinese influence
in its bilateralism and evenly spaced,
well-balanced motifs. ln finding its own
identity, Japanese art moved toward a
less conventional use of image and space.
57 t Children and Bussdge
This Chinese-inspired design is part of the
great Nara legacy still preserved in
Sh6soin, the imperial repository. The
court treasure contained there, which
includes over ten thousand objects and
personal effects, is our window to the
highly cultured Nara court life. ,
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58 r Flowers and Butterflies
This romantic, late-Heian design of
blossoms, vines, and butterflies is an
example of taka-maki-e, a process in
which the design is created through
several applications of gold and silver
dust on wet lacquer. The appearance of
depth in the design is due to the many
stages of lacquering, dusting, and sand-
ing to bring out the surface luster. The
subtle shading of th e maki-e is consid-
ered a high point in Fujiwara secular art.
I
59 r Comma Shapes and Karakusa
Here, in a design borrowed from The
an integ ra I pa rt of the gagaku (cou rt
Anthalogy of the 36 Poefs, is another
music) valued so highly by the aristocrats.
example of the Heian.tendency to meld
This particular design is the result of a
secular and religious motifs. The Buddhist process called hira-maki-e, in which the
commas that form the center of the pattern is created by sprinkling gold dust
roundels can also be interpreted as drums,
on tacky lacquer on a clean background.

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Birds and Flowering Plants
By the end of the Heian period, Chinese
61 r
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Lattice and FIower Shapes
These flower shapes precede the Hciirrr
influence in Japanese art was limited to period and were part of a family crelst
vague, subjective atlusions. The entire used to decorate the clothing and plt;r
notion of spatial relationships had moved sonal effects of family members. Tlrer
away from symmetry and obvious order lattice grids and the diagonal placenrcrrt
toward the seemingly random but actu- of the motifs on the grid create a sof t yct
ally planned placement of motifs. strong geometric design. 5I

62 tLion and Karakusa
This lion design, which was greatly
influenced by Chinese style of the T'ang
dynasty, f irst appeared on a heavy,
elaborate poetry paper known as shikishi.
This example of shikishi was part of a
book containing wood engravings that
atso used mica in the printing process.
t<.f LZI >-.r J)4
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63 r Shippd Brocade
ry
Composed of roundels and squares, this
design is adapted from a Japanese
brocade (wovel) pattern. The Fujiwara
women of the Heian court, who often
wore up to 20 layers of colored silk
kimonos, used such brocades as we
might use jewelry-as accessories to
their costumes.
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64 t Trees and Deer
This realistic design adapted f rom The
Anthology of lse, a part of The Anthology
of the 36 Poefs, was drawn with gold and
silver on a type of ryoshi (decorated
Japanese poetry paper). These papers
were originally imported from China, then
made domestically by court artisans.
65 r lsland, Waves, and Birds
Known as kaibu h seaside landscape),
this unusual design shows an imaginary
place where waterplants grow wild on an
island in the middle of a f rothing sea. The
swelling wave pattern is called kan zeha
and, like seigaiha patterns, appears in
many Japanese designs.
66 I Watermelon
Although there were no watermelons in
Japan in the Heian period, the'imported
motif was a popular one that appeared
often on lacquer and as an arabesque
design in handscroll paintings. Eventually
imported from China, the fruit is now daily
fare in the summer.
67 t Zuichd (Chinese Phoenixes)
This auspicious design of soaring zuicho
(lucky Chinese phoenixes) probably deco-
rated a chest or small piece of lacquered
furniture. Such pieces, beautifully carved
and painted with gold and silver by the
cou rt a rtisa ns, usua lly orig inated as pa rt
of a bride's dowry.
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68 r Zuichd and Flower Karakusa
Both birds and blooms in this Chinese
fantasy design are imaginary. Like the
mythic dragon, the auspicious phoenix
was a powerful image borrowed from the
Chinese. The phoenix had an important
role in every aspect of early Japanese art,
m usic, a nd literatu re.
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69 r Zuichd and Flowering Plants
Seen flat, this concentric desrgn of
swirling phoenixes and flowering plants
slightly dizzying, The image probably yz
made more sense as a decoration on a
ceramic vessel; painted in gold on a
highly gla zed, rounded surface, the 69
design has an engaging energy. 59

70
\ 73
7O-7 1 r Marbling
Heian marbling techniques, lost during a
long period of civil unrest, were never
satisfactorily reproduced, even by the
highly skilled Edo artists who came later.
To create these treasures, Heian artists
cast ink upon flowing streams and skillf ully
captured the image on handmade paper.
60
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7 2 . Sparrow and Bamboo
This charming scene of a sparrow f litting
among new bamboo leaves is probably
borrowed from an early scrol! painting'
Unfortunately, most Heian paintings
survive today merely as faded fragments,
so we can only guess"at the original
beauty and splendor of their colorings.
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7 3 1 Bamboo and Birds
Yamato-e (paintings of Japanese subject
matter) grew in popularity as emaki-mono
(narrative picture scrolls) began to grow
in importance. The asymmetrical arrange-
ment of motifs across the picture plane
marks this mid-Heian handscroll as the
work of a native artist.
illlli
74. Tasuki Hanabashi
Although Edo artists often elevated com-
monplace images to the level of art, the
practice was rare in Heian times. Here,
however, the Heian artist has used the
everyday tasuki (kimono sleeve sash)
and abstracted it into a hanabashi (flower
diamond check) design.
)^
75 . Tatewaku (Wandering Stripesl
The tatewaku is a design form that has
been popular throughout Japanese prrint
history. Probably taken originally fpep-r the
abstracted image of a wandering streoffi,
the tatewaku appears in hundreds of
variations and can be regarded as a tradi-
tional Japanese stripe.

V 6 . Dandelions
The ordinary dandelion has been trans-
formed in this design into a charming
karakusa (scrolling vine) pattern, com-
plete with imaginary trailing vines. ln the
original work, kana (Japanese syllabic
writing) artfully covered the dandelion
a ra besq u e.
flF
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77 | Flower Lattices
This Escher-like pattern first appears to be
a contemporary design of irregular globes
or stones set out on the diagonal. To the
Heian eye, howevel the design is formed
with black plovers (small, short-billed
wading birds) connected at the wing to
make a lattice design.
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7 B I Butterflies 7 9 . Scattered Lotus Petals

Mid-Heian patterns favored pretty and
feminine images such as this. The
popularity of this kind of motif increased
under the woman-dominated rule of the
Fujiwaras. Even the men adopted exag-
gerated feminine behavior:, inctuding the
wearing of makeup and jewelry.
Originally a sophisticated religious pattern
with Buddhist associations, this composi-
tion of chirirengeben (scattered lotus
petals) has become a common domestic
design that is often used now to decorate
the ordinary necessities of daily life.

B0 r Fruit and Vine Arabesque
lntricate arabesque patterns like this one
were used as backdrop prints to decorate
emaki-mono (narrative picture scrolls).
The most famous emaki-rnono of the
Heian period was Genji Monogatari ffhe
Tale of Genji) , a romance of court life
written by Murasaki Shikibu in the late
n1
tenth century. Much present-day knowl-
edge of Heian court life comes from the
careful study of Genji, which-unlike the
didactic Buddhist tales written for com-
mon people-was written by the
aristocracy for the aristocracy.
I
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B 1 r Ripening Fruit Karakusa
ity above all else. Mono-no-aware h
This is anoth er emaki-mono print. These
karakusa patterns were often laid down in sensitivity to the pathos and transient
quality of existence) was the supreme
subtle colors to allow the spid ery kana
script to dance across the design. Color, virtue in a society that had more interest
in shell games and color matching than
pattern, and the interplay between the
i
two were of great imPortance to the politics and militarY matters.
aristocracy, who valued aesthetic sensibil-
 :{TN-
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82 t Chrysanthemum Vines
Although Ja panese karakusa evolved
f rom imported Chinese patterns, the
astute, robust Chinese versions did not
appeal to the Heian aristocracy, who
preferred more delicate and refined
images. This design is a good example of
the more sophisticated characteristics of
Japanese work.
$ik
eils
83 r lslamic Vines
The symmetry here, the accuracy of the
drawing, and the unusual flowers suggest
that this design was imported f rom Persia,
via China and Korea. Considered "West-
ern," the design was never altered by the
Japanese, who usually,reworked designs
to ref lect their own taste.
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84 t Primroses in Arabesque 85 r Cross-Stitch Karakusa

^il 4 Artists might well have combined this

simple, sweet pattern with gold and silver
Firefly-catching parties were, according to
The Tale of Genji, a favorite summer

ffiqr
72
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to decorate a court robe. Since most
social activities were held at night, gold
and silver would not have been gaudy
but totally appropriate for the shadowy
precincts of the court.
activity of the courtiers. A woman might
have worn a robe decorated with this
f loral"summer pattern when her suitors
saw her face for the first time lit by the
flickering light of the caged fireflies.

ti
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86 r Vines and Dandelions
Originally drawn as the background for a
poetry paper, this design is arranged to
emulate the sweep and grace of kana
writing, which was developed bY the
women of the court. AdoPted bY the
courtiers, kana is often cited as the major
achievement of the Heian Period.
74
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87 t Chitdren and Karakusa
By the mid-Heian period, court artists
were eager to experiment with new tech-
niques and develop new themes' Starting
slowly, they first adapted old themes to
make the new. Here, theY have merged
the traditional karakusa design with an
unusual motif children.
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BB-90 r Animal Patterns
Borrowed from jewel-colored carpets
brought from the Middle East along the
silk route to Japan, these designs show a
menagerie of animals that must have
seemed fantastic to the Japanese, who
had never seen such exotic life before.
Such imported works fired the imagina-
76
rb.rru,
tion of the Heians, who eagerly incor-
poiated such animals as the elephant and
the zebra into their own mythology. These
designs also include imaginary beasts-
dragons and phoenixes-as well as the
12 animals of the Chinese calendar.
77
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91 r Birds 92 t Bird Twill

A design for all times and all seasons, this This design, seemingly cornposed of iris
still-contemporary pattern was a very new blooms in diagonal stripes, ls actually an

image for the Heians. Simple, freely
spaced, and crossing the picture plane
with an asymmetrical sweep, the design
has a realism that sharply breaks with the
rigidity and idealism of T'ang art.
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abstraction of birds in flight. (The bird
image was probably distorted in the
cutting of the screen.) The pattern was
expensive to execute, making it all the
92
more attractive to the Heian courtiers.
79
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93 r Birds and Flowering Vines
This is a Chinese-inspired pattern that
might have decorated the f ragile screens
sepa rating the living spaces with in the
walls of the imperial court. These screens
can be seen in the f ragments of narrative
scrolls that still remain intact. Most of
these scrolls had a f uki-nuki-yaki perspec-
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tive (bird's-eye view), So the subjects in
the scroll are placed within the gridlike
configuration of the screens. Those
familiar with court hierarchy can identify
the characters by their positions and the
kinds and colors of robes they wear.
94 \-
94 t Waves and Watermarks
Heian works of art on both lacquer and
paper often used the device of waves or
mist to create space. Several specific
wave patterns (seigaiha, kanzeha) were
stylized to symbolize the sea; abstract
patches of nnist were created by sprin-
kling powdered mother-of-pearl onto a
wet lacquered surface. ln such patterns,
the sea and mist are often indistinguish-
able except for the context. ln this design,
the wave configuration is apparent, and
the negative space between the waves
suggests wafting drifts of white mist.
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95 r Waves and Fish
Amid the swirling waters of this animated
seigaiha (waves from the blue ocean)
pattern are whales and dolphins. This
delightful, energetic design was originally
painted in bright, clear colors and used as
a flyleaf for the Heike Lotus Sutra.
) g
96 r Tiee Peony Karakusa
A favorite motif in both China and Japan,
the tree peony is used here in arabesque
to decorete a sutra cover. Such pious
designs give little indication of the con-
stant warring that went on between the
power-hungry Buddhist sects and the
equally aggressive imperial court.
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97 t Heike Lotus Sutra While mosl monogatari (literature) of the del containing a pair of dragonlikc r;tr;rtl:;
In the late Heian period, the most power- Clumsily installed into court life, the Helke time centered on Heian-kyo, didactic probably illustrated an early fairy l;rlt r

ful military families were the Taira (also
known as Heike) and the Minamoto
(known as Genji). As the nobility became
increasingly weak and splintered, the two
tribes fought one another for control of
the cou rt, and the Heike initially prevailed.
84
adopted aristocratic pursuits with mixed
success. Eventually, they were driven out
by the Genji, but they left the beautiful
Heike Lotus Sutra, whrch this design is
taken f rorh, as part of their legacY.
tales f rom lndia, China, and Korea were
also collected by the court literaries.
These works introduced a host of exotic
characters and fantastic creatures into
the Japanese literary tradition. This roun-
tr
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99 r DiagonalTasuki 1 00- 1 01 r Roof Tiles

Resembling a Navajo rug design, this
diagonal pattern is an abstraction of
tasuki (kimono sleeve sash ). ln later
years, the design was called matsuka-
wabi shi ( brig htty colored d ia mond-sha ped
99 patterns), and the interior diamond was
dropped, simplifying the pattern.
86
Heian aristocrats took great pride in
decorating their homes elegantly and
fashionably. Every exposed surface,
including roof tiles, was embellished.
These two designs were taken from tiles
custom-designed for a home not a
stone's throw f rom the imperial palace.
87
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102- 1 03 r Hand-Mirror Bussfige
Designed to decorate the backs of two
hand mirrors, these roundels are not
strictly round but shaped to follow the
geometry of an octagon and a hexagon.
The importance of hand mirrors to the
Heian aristocracy cannot be overempha-
sized. !n this vain society, which was
88
totally obsessed by manners, dress, and
makeup, both men and women were
essentially married to their mirrors. The
fashion of the day mandated heavily
powdered faces and necks, painted eye-
brows and lips, and blackened teeth.
For all this preparation, however, the
aristocrats avoided direct contact with
the opposite sex. lnstead, they moved
about in the shadows, believing that the
glimpse of a silken sleeve or the scent
wafting from a noblewoman's long
silken hair was more sensualthan a face-
to-face meeting.
 104 106

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r 106 r Diamond Waves 1O7 r Hunting Pattern

104 r Peacock Polygon 105 Double Animals
This wave pattern, worked to fit within Structured like an Egyptian frieze,
These geometric weaving patterns are ln this Chinese-inspired design,the tasuki
diamond shapes, is ofteh used to design shows (top) warriors sterlkirrr; wrlrI

strikingly similar to some of the lndian
designs of ancient Mexico and South
decorate the borders of copper utensils prey with bows and arrows arrd (lrollorrr)
exotic doglike animals facing one another
and pottery. The cresting wave motif was domesticated animals in a pastorirl :;r.on(
on either side. Unlike some other weaving
l

Americ a. Fantastic animals and bird
shapes lent themselves to the blocklike
-l style that could be achieved on looms at
that time.
originally brought from China and is Diamond waves sandwich the two r;lory
patterns, this design is not limited to
usually associated with heroic sea tales. boards in this private view of Hciirn ov( )ry
linear use but can spread out to f ill the
picture plane.
day lif e

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109 110

108 r Fern Brocade 1 09 r

This fern pattern was especially designed
for the highly valued brocade sashes used
as accessories in cou rt d ress. Brocade
strips were also used on outer-robes and
to set off hand-held accessories, such as
fans or lacquer jewelry.
92
Seven-Days-of-the-Week Stars
Heia n emaki-mono (pictu re scrolls) con-
tain many examples of working people
dressed in clothes decorated with this
star design. Such simple patterns printed
in one or two colors were popular among
the working classes because they were
patterned yet i nexpensive.
1 10 r Buddhist Karakusa
Heian nobles often chose patter:ns with aristocratic men and women married by
Buddhist referents to decorate clothing political arrangement and, after producing
and personal objects. Although such the mandatory heir, engaged in multiple
shows of piety were an important aspect amorous liaisons.
of court life, romance was the preferred
activity, and the art of love made the court
go 'round. A polygamous lot, the
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111 r Vines in Arabesque 1 12 r Floating Karakusa

This elegant desig n, CIlthough Chinese in
feeling, is the work of a Japanese court
artisan. Heian culture at its worst was
petty, ster:ile, and overly ref ined; at its
best, it produced outstanding work like
this karakusa, the quality of which soars
past its Chinese antecedent.
The Heian aristocrat strove to achieve a
f usion of art in life and life in art. The
laborious cultivation of calligraphy, music,
poetry, dress, and manners were all-
consuming occupations of the nobility.
This karakusa has the elements of refine- 112
ment so admired by this pampered class.
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This design served a-s a background for Although the Heian court was nolctl lor
E. the airy kana script that was developed by rejecting foreign cultures, this clo:;ttllr r:;
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women in the court for the nobility's not purely Japanese. The design l)l( )i rl':;
domestic and romantic writing. Kanii (the with Chinese T'ang tradition styltslrt:;tlly,
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'7,-- Chinese characters) were used for more but the imagery com posed of cxtl lir ; I t r ttl
masculine (political and military) topics. and f lowers shows that the arislclr)lir( ry
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96
still had a fascination with foreigrr lltttttl:,

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115 r Birds Eating Flowers 1 16 r Flower Cars 117 r Flower Tasuki
Emperor Kammu moved Japan's capital This design evokes childhood memories This design is from The AnthalogY of the as kanji. Kana, a phonetic system, was
from Nara to Kyoto in 794, in Part to of simpler days when four-petaled flowers 36 Poets, a painted narrative that owes its developed by the women of the court,
escape the political stranglehold of the were fitted with grass stalks to fashion existence to kana. The development of who used the script to write diaries,
powerful Buddhist sects, but the highly "f lower cars." This pattern is a sentimen- kana script rn the Heian period freed monogatari, and waka (Japanese poetry)
developed cultural achievements of the tal favorite of the Japanese people who Japan from China's dominating cultural Only the finest Heian poets were immor-
Nara period -including this hand-mirror fondly remember life before the time of inf luence. Before the kana syllabary, all talized in The AnthologY of the 36 Poets.
design-were brought intact to the new transformers and computers. writing was in Chinese characters known
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1 1B r Flowers and Ghinese Phoenix
This sophisticated and elegant pattern
was first used to decorate both cloth and
metal. Later, it became a popular design
for ryoshi (decorated papers). lt was
block-printed on u/ashi, a paper made
from mulberry fibers, and then decorated
with mica.
1 19 t Hiyoku Hanabashi
120
The idea for hiyoku (one design atop
another) originated with an imaginary
pair of f lying birds (one male, one female),
each with one eye and one wing. Here,
the hiyoku consists of a diamond deslgn
superimposed on hanabashi (flower-
sha ped motif ).
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120 r Flower Fusenryd
q$h {6$
Fusenryo is an elaborately worked textile. make with the brightly colored silk threads
This pleasingly balanced design, which left over from the weav,lng of their kimono.
combines flowers within roundels,
equilateral triangles, and hexagons, was
originally engraved as a block print. The
roundel shapes resemble temari, the
decorative balls that Japanese women
 121 | Hanabashi Fusenryd
This elegant design of carefully con-
structed geometric shapes fashioned
from flower and leaf motifs was also
achieved by fuse nryo. Block engraving
allowed the artist to make a detailed and
intricate design that was beyond the
technical reach of Heian stencil makers.
122 r Chinese Phoenix
Heian aristocrats were highly supersti-
tious and spent much time and energy
consulting oracles and chanting sutras.
For this reason, they felt it couldn't hurt to
adorn their personal effects with such
auspicious symbols as the double phoe-
nix shown in this roundel.
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Phoenixes, Tigers, and Dragons
123 125

124 I B6sen Phoenix 125 r Phoenix and Peony

ln the early Heian period, two new
schools of Buddhism-Tendai and
Shingon-were added to the six schools
that had been so important in Nara. Most
aristocrats combined Buddhism with
native Shinto beliefs and a spiritual
mythology imported from China. Within
this religious hodgepodge, animal
images-such as those in this roundel-
were important talismen with supernatu-
ral powers. These personal good luck
charms decorated textiles and other
household goods.
Rosen was a Heian printing technique
whereby designs were copied onto hand-
made papers. Artists used wax as a rub-
bing medium to copy woodblock designs
onto papers that were probably then used
as the background for waka poetry.
By setting the two favorite images of the
Heian period in an exotic atmosphere, the
creator of this design has molded his own
idea of heaven. Both the drawing style
and the imagery used in this unique
karakusa made it a favorite textile design
of the courtiers.
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126 r Pagodas
An important Buddhist pattern, this
pagoda design was used as the back-
ground for special sutras. ln this religious
version of the ash ide (hidden writing) pat-
nnrnrr 126
terns, each of the pagoda shapes contain
sutra characters ingeniously worked into
the composition of the design.
127 r Stars
This design was a simple stencil pattern
favored by the Heian commoners to
decorate their everyday robes. Cost and
technique limited their patterns to
graphics that appear childlike next to the
elaborale karakusa of the courtiers, but
color offered some variety.
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128

128 r Linked Stars 129 r Tree Peony in Arabesque

Used both in clothing and in the back- The tree peony, the image the Chinese
ground of narrative strolls, this charming loved most, was embraced with equal
pattern can still be seen today in tradi- affection by the Heian courtiers. Graceful

j
karakusa, such as this one, often served
tional Japanese clothing, such as hanten
(short coats). The concept of linked
lateral stripes was introduced in the mid-
as background designs for the equally
graceful kana calligraphy, a highly
regarded art form in .itself.
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Heia n period. 109
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1 30 r Japanese Tree Peony 1 31 I Buddhist Flowers

Paintings of Chinese subjects executed in
a Chinese style were called kara-e; Japa-
nese subjects executed in a Japanese
style were called yamato-e. Between
these groups, there was a middle
category-to which this design belongs-
that contained elements of both, with a
Chinese subject and a Japanese style.
Taken from emaki-mono, this narrative
painting emphasized thoughts and places
dear to the hearts of the Japanese
people, who viewed the scrolls in the
company of good f riends.
Originally an image used only in Buddhist period, a general sense of pessimism
painting, the hibiscus was adopted into , over the court's failure to control politics
Heian culture early in the period and is led to an even more fervent devotion to
shown here as a very modern, secular- Buddhist tenets.
looking design. As the Heian period
matured, Buddhism became increas-
ingly important; near the end of the

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132 r Hibiscus 133 r Scattered Pine Needles

This highly stylized and unusuat interpre-
tation of bussoge (imaginary Buddhist
flowers that resemble hibiscus) was
designed to decorate The Lotus Sutra of
Heike (Heike Nogyd. which was begun in
132
1164. The original design was painted in
gold on an indigo background.
n2
The late Heian period is notorious for the
courtiers' obsession with their artistic
sensibilities. Such romanticism is appar-
ent even in this seemingly simple pattern
of pine twigs, where the artist labored
long and hard to perfect the placement of
the motifs.

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135 136

134 I Cranes Holding Pines
An auspicious pattern originally drawn in
gold and silver on lacquer with the maki-e
technique, this design focuses on the
much-loved images of the crane and the
pine. An enduring combination, cranes
and pines are still used today in celebra-
tions and wedd nOt.
1 35 r Water Birds
Like example 20, this is an ashide (hidden
writing) pattern composed of birds, plants,
and movinE streams. The composition
was made by a rubbing technique known
as rosen, which created an illusion of light
and shade between the pattern and the
background, adding depth to the design.
1 36 r Water Plants and Birds
This delicate design of birds and water Heian perio d, tsugi-shikishi heightened
plants first appeared in The Ant'hology the opulence of the already elaborate
of the 36 Poefs as a tsugi-shikishi. poetry pa pers.
Tsugi-shikishi is a kind of collage in which
ryoshi (decorated papers) are torn or cut
and then placed together in a composi-
tion. A popular technique during the
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138

137 r Scattered Leaves 1 38 I Deer

Komon (miniature patterns) were an Preserved today in the imperial repository

inexpensive way to decorate textiles in'
the Heian period. This clean, simple
composition of floating leaves works
perfectly as a komon and was a popular
137 design used in the decoration of clothing
for the common people.
I 16
at Shosoin in N ara, this bilateral design of
deer was made by a dyeing technique
known as kyokechi sometime between
710 and 785. A classic in both image and
technique, this design is a dazzling exam-
ple of the treasures of Shosoin.
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1 39 r lnsects and Watermelons
ln this lyrical desiEn evoking dreams of
hot, steamy summer days, the wbter-
melon chilling in a nearby stream is a
promise of a cooling repast. The artist has
humorously included insects in the
desig n, beca use they, too, a re a nticipating
the sweetness of the ripe watermelon.
14O r Maples
Used as a stencil design to decorate the
sir"nple garments of commoners and
workers, this miniature pattern also
existed in much more elaborate court
versions. Some designs belonged exclu-
sively to the aristoc racy, but this maple
motif was widely used by all classes.
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141 r Branded Horses
The brand was a slightly unconventional
printing technique used during the Heian
period. To create this pastoral design of
grazing horses, the image was fir,st carved
on metal, then burned, and finally
stamped ("branded") on paper.
142 r Snow Rings
At the close of the Heian period when the
gourt began to lose power, the aristocracy
became possessive of their patterns,
preventing their use among other classes.
The expense of the stencil cutting in this
6 6
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intricate design was enough to keep the 142
pattern safe for the aristocrats.
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143 r Diamonds 144 I Flowing Clouds

/l\ ,l\ rlt /l\ Consrdered in Heian times to be a high- This early depiction of swirling clouds

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toned design in excellent taste, this clever was probauly brought to the Nara court

rt [l |I ri $ lt
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diamond-on-diamond pattern was first
used to decorate the clothing and per-
sonal implements of the court nobility.
Today, it can be seen in Shinto shrines as
from China. The flowing cloud pattern,
which continued to gain popularity into
the Heian-period, was often used to
decorate the back sides of hand mirrors.
patterning on religious and sacred
t22
implements.
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145 r Flowing Water and Landscape 146 r Flowering Karakusa

The bird's-eye perspective and strong
diagonals used for this design were
techniques borrowed from China,ls
Northern Sung dynasty (960-1126]' . A
wood engraving, the design is printed on
gubiki-shi, a high-quality, handmade
paper, and painted with crushed mother-
of-pearl.
fr
As Japanese artists gained skill and
confidence, they began to replace
Chinese themes (like this arabesque) with
their own cultural images. Literary
themes were popular, as were referents to
the four seasons and any display of 146
mono-no-aware (sensitivity to the
beauties of nature). 125
Descriptions of Color Plates
1 r Heian Court Scene
This fan-shaped picture narrative f rom a
Heian handscroll aptly illustrates the vari-
ety of techniques used in these opulent
works. The background is decorated with
karakami and maki-e, ofld the figures are
a combination of woodblock, sumi , and
fine-line drawings in gold and silver.
2 r Scattered T?ees and Birds
Clearly an early Heian work owing much
of its style to the T'ang School, this care-
fully organized design has a vibrancy that
makes it more than a carbon copy of Chi-
nese art. Despite the rigid bilateralism,
the freely drawn birds and easy scatter-
ings of fruit and flowers give the design a
character unusual for the time.
3 r Butterflies and Flowers
The delicately painted work of hibiscus
and butterflies has a completely different
character from the usual karakusa and
roundel layout. The images here are
drawn from top to bottom and arranged
from left to right. The nobility probably
admired both the intricacy of the refined
pattern and the vibrancy of the com-
plementary colors.
4t Exotic Fruit in Arabesque
An exotic pattern depicting fruits f rom
faraway lands, this design is an early
version of the karakusa that originated in
Persia and moved to Japan via the silk
trail. The design can be found in nearly
the same form today as a popular pattern
used f or furoshiki (cloth wrapper); it is
also part of the costume used in the ritual
lion dance known as shishi-mai.
5 r Isugi-shikishi
A fragment from The Anthology of the 36
Poets shows the use of the popular Heian
technique known as tsugi-shikishi , in
which ryoshi (Japanese decorated
papers) have been torn and collaged
together to form a new design. The act of
t26
selecting and positioning the papers was
considered an art in itself.
6 r Seigaiha Tsugi-shikishi
This beautif ul collage shows three
famous patterns, each created by a differ-
ent technique. On the left is the most
famous pattern, seigaiha Maves from the
blue ocean). Within this design is the
much-loved hemp leaf pattern, made by
drawing the shape on gold paper and cut-
ting it to fit within the arc of the seigaiha.
r Watermelon Isugi-shikishi
7
This elaborate paper and gold leaf con-
struction probably introduced the water-
melon to the Nara court. Like karakami
(Chinese decorated papers), the water-
melon was an exotic import from China.
Eventually, both the melon and the papers
became domestic products.
8 r Tortoise Shell Hanabashi
The Heike Lotus Sutra was commissioned
by Taira Kiyomori, the Heike military
leader. The beautiful work was a conspic-
uous show of piety and expense, initiated
to counter the popular attitude that the
warrior class was both uncouth and
uncultured. This elegant design at least
speaks for the sophistication of the
artisans and the wealth of Kiyomori
and his warriors.
9 t Zdgan with Flowers
This refined design is taken from the back
of a biwa (Japanese lute). The technique
used is zogaff, d kind of marquetry in
which the pattern is carved into a metal
plate and inlaid with gold, silver, and wood.
10 r Heike Geometric
A total of 33 scrolls made up the Heike
Lotus Sutra, which provided the finest
examples of craftsmanship,of the late
Heian period, as this design attests. Part
of The Lotus Sutra teaches that women
who live by its tenets will be reborn on a
engaged in the pursuit of refined plea-
lotus within the blissful Amida Paradise.
sures nicely illustrates the way patterns
were mixed together for proper court
11 r Scrolling Lotus
dress. For most occasions, under-robes-
Strikingly contempotatY, this design has
which could number uP to 20-were
clean lines and vibrant colors that set it
arranged in a variegated rainbow of solid
apart from other Heian designs. The blue,
colored silks. Tl,. patterned outer.robes
green, and red lacquer are painted on a
were blockprintbd, woven, or embroidered.
gold rnaki-e background; the pattern
probabtrl decorated a wedding chest.
12 | Shishi (Lionl and Bussdge
(lmaginary Flowers)
The image of the lion was a tremendous
favorite among the Heian courtiers. ln this
design, borrowed from China, the realisti-
cally drawn lion roars amid the classic
bussoge (imaginary flowers that resemble
hibiscus).
13 r Fish
Considering the intensity of the Heian
period and its people, this nearhT modern,
cartoontike design is a detightful surprise'
The bird's-eye view of whimsical whales
festooned in primary colors seems more
Disney than Heian.
14 . Marquetry Roundels
The roundel in this design is the result
of two processes: zogan (silver, gold,
and wood intay on carved metal) for
the pattern and raden (lacquer and
mother-of-pearl inlay) for the delicate
secondary motif.
r
15 RadenBussdge
Another opulent example of raden, the
back of a nobleman's mirror has been
intr"icately fitted with minute bits of
mother-of-pearl and lacquerwork. An
expensive and highly technical process,
raden was used bY the courtiers to
decorate personal vanities, such'as
mirrors, and the back of the biwa
(Japanese lute).
16 r Heian Court Pleasures
This wood engraving of Heian nobility
127
tr I GLOSSARY
Anthology of the 36 Poets A collection
of poetry by 36 poets that was created to
honor the Emperor Toba in 1112. Called
Sanjl Rokunin-9hl, its 39 volumes were
transcribed bV 20 master calligraphers on
decorated papers tyoshi). This work of
art stayed in the imperial family until the
sixteenth century, when it was given to
the Nishi Honganji Temple.
Ashide Also known as "hidden writing."
A stylistic device characteristic of Heian
art, particularly yamato-e works, in which
kana script was ingeniously worked into
the composition as an ornamental ele-
ment. Used in painting, lacquerware, and
decorated papers. The kana characters
were often a kind of pu zzle usually
presented as waka (a short poem) relating
to the artwork.
Asuka period Japanese historical era
(552-710) tremendously inf luenced by
the Wei and Ch'icultures from China.
Buddhism was introduced to Japan in
530; Prince Shotuku (592-6221 estab-
lished laws that followed Buddhist
thought and principles. The Hory0ji
Temple in Nara was constructed in the
Asu ka period.
Bussdge (Sometimes called hossoge.l
An imaginary flower, resembling a hibis-
cus bloom, that was closely associated
with Chinese Buddhism. Although the
literal translation is "flowers of precious
a ppearance," bussoge was sometimes
called the T'ang motif because T'ang
dynasty paintings of holy events often
show these fantastic blossoms falling
from heaven. The bussoge design came
to Japan in the Nara period-along wrth
Chinese imported papers karakami)
where it was widely used as both a reli-
- placement and composition skills of the
gious and a secular image.
Courtiers The aristocratic class of
Heian-kyo, who resided exclusively within
the walls of the capital city. This group of
several hundred nobles, palace ladies,
and members of the impprial family-
usually connected to the throne by birth
or marriage-constituted a hlghly refined,
128
leisured, and literary elite. Aristocratic
business for the courtiers consisted of an
appreciation of proper protocol and eti-
quette and a mastery of poetry wrlting,
calligraphy, and music. Elegance and sen-
sitivity were much more important than
military and political skills, which were
generally considered to be necessary but
uncouth talents. At its best, this obses-
sion with aesthetic refinement hiyobil
resulted in a f usion of life and art and
stimulated an outpouring of artistic trea-
sures that made the Heian period the
golden age of Japan.
Edo period Long, stable, and peaceful
Japanese historical era (1603*1868). ln
'1590, military ruler Tokugawa
leyasu cen-
tered his bakaf u ftent headquarters) in the
remote provincial center of Edo (present-
day lbkyo ) . Eventua lly, the econom ic a nd
cultural center of the country shifted f rom
Kyoto/Osaka to the Tokyo plain. The Edo
period, which was free of influence f rom
abroad because all foreigners were
banned, Wos noted for its openness and
creativity in society and the arts. Popular
literature and art flourished at this time.
Emaki-mono Literally, picture scrolls.
Handscrolls that combined the finest
artistic achievements of the Heian period,
including ryoshi (decorated papers),
painting, kana calligraphy, and poetry.
Yamato-e (Japanese painting) flourished
during the Heian period, largely because
of the popularity of emaki-mono. A favor-
ite social activity among the courtiers was
the leisurely perusal of a new handscroll-
a few inches at a time-with a few close
friends. The making of emaki-mono was
a joint effort that combined the color-
painting masters (eshi)-who were often
members of the aristocracy-and the
f inishing work of the court artisans. The
most famous example of emaki-mono is
the tenth-century novel The Tale of Genji ,
which still exists in fragments.
Fujiwara era of the Heian period See
"Heian period."
Fuki-nuki-yaki Litera lly, "blown-off-roof
style," but popularly referred to as "bird's-
eye perspective." Describes the Heian
artistic device of removing ceilings f rom
interior scenes so that the viewer seems
to hover over the action. Typical of onna-e
(domestic Heian painting), the fuki-nuki-
yaki perspective was also used later in
onoko-e (masculine paintings, usually
with military and political themes).
Gagatku Elegant court music performed
for its own sake or for the accompani-
ment of bugaku (court dances). Music
was an important part of Heian life, and
the courtiers were expected to be profi-
cient on a variety of instruments, includ-
ing th e biwa and the kofo.
Genji Tribal name of the Minamotos, a
powerful military family that fought the
Heike (Taira family) for control of the court
in the late Heian period.
Gubiki-shi High-quality, handmade Jap-
anese paper applied with crushed
mother-of-pearl. These papers, usually
used for kana calligraphy, are considered
works of art in themselves.
Heian period Japanese historical era
(794-118b) noted for its extraordinary
concern for beauty, delicacy, and sensitiv-
ity in life and the arts. ln 7 94, the imperial
court moved from Nara to Heian-kyo (the
capital of peace and tranquility), which
was renamed Kyoto centuries later. Under
the strong emperors Kammu and Saga
during the early part of the Heian period
(794-897l,, Japan maintained active rela-
tions with T'ang China. Then, as the
powers of the emperors began to wane,
one family of courtiers-the Fujiwaras-
came to dominate affairs of state. After
894, communications with China were
suspended, and the period from 897 to
1185 was called the late Heian, or
Fujiwara, period. Japan then sought to
develop its own artistic spirit, This shift of
emphasis is clearly evident in the evolu-
tion of textile design and other arts.
Heike Tribal name for the Taira clan, a
powerful military family led by Kiyomori.
The Heike took control of the imperial
court in the later part of the Heian period.
!ronically, the most important legacy of
these military men was the exquisitely
beautiful Heike Lotus Sutra (Heike Nogyil,
commissioned by Kiyomori before the
ultimate defeat of the Heike by their
mortal enemies, the Genji (Minamotos).
Heike Lotus Sutra Thirty-three lavishly
decorated scrolls of sutras dedicated to
the principal deity of ltsukushima Shrine
and commissioned by the Taira clan to
counter the prevailing attitude that mili-
tary tribes were uncouth, uncultured, and
lacking in piety. ln 1164, ea,ch member of
the clan undertook the preparation of a
scroll and engaged the finest talents in
Heian-kyo in an effort to outdo one
another. ln creatingThe Lotus Sutra,
which is generally held to be the f inest
example of the period's artwork, the
Heike had beaten the aristocracy at their
own culture game.
lnkin Literally, stamped gold. A process
in which gold leaf is directly applied or
stamped onto the cloth.
Kamakura period Japanese historical
era (1185-1338) noted for its militaristic
character. The artistically brilliant Heian
period ended in 1185, when, after years of
conflict, the Minamoto family defeated
the rival Taira family, and military families
began their rise to power. Although the
imperial court remained in Kyoto, its influ-
ence was lessened, and Kamakura in
eastern Japan was chosen as the seat of
the shogunate. ln the arts, the intricate
and delicate Heian patterns gave way to
the more practical camouflage patterns
used to cover armor.
Kammu Emperor of Japan from 781 to
806, who moved the capital of the coun-
try from Nara to Kyoto rn 794.
Kana J?panese syllabic writing, often
cited as the most important achievement
of the highly cultured Heian period. The
kana syllabary was invented by K6bo
Daishi and f urther developed by the
women of the court in response to the
l2e
inadequacies and taboos of kanji, the
ideographs adopted from China. Written
kanjiwas for the exclusive use of H'eian
males, who completely excluded the
literary-minded females of the court f rom
its teaching. lnitially, the 48 kana charac-
ters were used to express the intimacies
of domestic life within the court, appear-
ing in diaries, waka poetry-, and the full-
blown tales at monogatari. Kana calligra-
phy, also known as grass script, became
an art form in its own right and was
regarded with the respedt accorded to
paintlngs, lacquerware, and handmade
decorated papers. Kana was soon
adopted by the men of the court.
Kanji The Chinese system of wr,iting
composed of ideographs in which each
cha racter represents a specif ic idea First
used in China in 14 8.C., the language was
systematized by the time it reached Japan
br7 way of Korea in the fifth century. lni-
tially, kanjiwas taught only to male chil-
dren , causing it to develop as a public
language associated with political and
military concerns. Today, kanji is one of
the three written languages taught
throughout Japan. To read a newspaper
with complete comprehension, it is said,
the reader pnust recognize and under-
stand ten thousand kanji characters.
Kanzeha A swelling-wave pattern that
appears in many Japanese designs.
Kara-e Literally, Chinese painting. Paint-
ings in the Chinese style with Chinese
themes (usually referring to the art of the
T'ang dynasty). As opposed to Vamato-e
paintings, which contain dlstinctively
J'apanese style and subject matter.
Karakami Etegant decorated paper origi-
nally imported from China to Japan dur-
ing the Heian period. Also known as
Chinese paper, it was made by covering
select torinoko paper with gofun (lime)
and printing the design in nnica. Highly
prized in anclent Japanese soclety,
karakami provided the inspiration for
the development of Japan's own cultural
traditions.
r30
Karakusa Literally, scrolting vine. A
sequential pattern that is systematlcally
organized so it can be endlessly expanded.
An arabesque motif particularly charac-
teristic of Heian patterns, karakusa can be
traced from Persia to lndia, China, Ko rea,
and finatly Japan
Kara-nishiki Silk brocade woven in China
and lmported into Japan during the Nara
and early Heian periods. See example 51.
Komon Literally, miniature patterns. The
patter.ns can be quite large, for some rea-
son, and still be called komon. Widely
appreoated during the Heian period,
kamon reached the zenith of popularity in
the Edo period, when master stencil cut-
ters designed blades that enabled the art-
ists to expand their repertorrT of designs.
Kydkechi Resist dyeing done with wood-
blocks or boards.
Maki-e Literally, sprinkled picture. A late-
Heian technique for decorating lacquer-
ware in which gold and silver particles
were sprinkled onto moist lacquer to
achieve the design. Each lacquer layer-
often 40 or more-was then sanded to
even the surface and bring out the luster.
Minamoto See "Genji."
Monogatari Tales or literature.
Nara period Japanese historical era
(710-794) in which Japan was united for
the first time. The period was named after
the city of Nara, which is conslder:ed the
ancient-ancient capital of Japan (Kyoto is
the ancient capital). During this perlod,
the Japanese were deeply inf luenced
socialty,and artistically by Buddhism and
T'ang dynasty China.
Obi A sash or cummerbund worn with
kimono. There are as many kind of obi as
there are fabrics, colors, and deslgns.
The correct obi choice depends on the
kimono, the season, the occasion, and
the wearer's marital status: Often hand-
woven, the obi itself is a work of art.
Raden Lacquer and mother-of-pearl
inlay. Often used to decorate lacquerware.
Bdsen A printing technique used to
tr:ansfen designs and patterns oftto hand-
made papers that were then used for
waka poetry.
Rvashi Japanese decorated papers.
Shikishi Handmade, almost-square
sheets of painted or printed paper that
were used as a ground for calligraphy
a nd poetry.
Shintoism Literally, "the way of the
gods.",The native religion of Japan,
based on the virtues of simplicity, purity,
and cleanliness. ln contrast to Buddhism,
which entered Japanese culture in the
Nara period, Shintoism is an optimistic,
positive religion that teaches a reverence
for nature. Followers of Shintoism believe
that God inhabits all living things in the
form of kami (spirits), who are worshipped
in and out of Shinto shrines. The later
spread of Confuciansim and Buddhism
lessened the influence of Shintoism,
but the religion is still important in
Japa,nese life; a large part of what
we admire as "typically Japanese" is
based in Shintoism
ShOsOin The imperial repository in Nara
that houses ten thousand objects and
personal effects from the Nara period.
Sumi-e Black-and-white ink painting.
Sung dynasty, Northern Chinese histor-
ical era (960-1126), which paralleled
Japan's Heian period. More introspective
than the extroverted T'ang dynasty that
was the inspiration for most of Heian cul-
ture, the Sung dynasty is best known for
its monochrornatic ink landscapes. Still,
many artistic devices that were important
characteristics of Heian art-subdued
color tones, bird's-eye perspective, stress
upon the diagonal plane-can be traced
back to the Sung aesthetic.
Sutra A Buddhist prayer, either written
or cha nted.
Taira See " Heike."
Tale of Genji (Genji Monogataril A ceremonial garments worn at the Heian
romance of classical Japanese court life
written in the Heian period by Lady
Murasaki Shikibu. Considered the first
novel ever written, the 54 chapters were
originally contained within 20 separate
scrolls with hundreds of illustrations and
thousands of sheets of calligraohy. Only
surviving now in fragments , Genji has
been an inspiration as a work of art in all
T'ang dynasty Chinese historical era
(618-906) known for its artistic creativity
and cultural achievements. This was the
golden age of Chinese poetry and the
time of China's greatest inf luence on
Korea and Japan.
Tsugi-shikishi A Heian technique in
which decorated papers are torn and
collaged together to form a new design.
Waka Japanese poetry,,each poern
consrsting of 31 syllables, writtenin kana
script. Waka and emaki-mono were
among the most important cultural
achievements of the H.eian period. The
clandestine passing of waka poems was
the preferred means of communication
between the courtiers, who disliked direct
communication. The making of this
poetry was also an important social
activity with the courtiers, who displayed
their syllabic skills with the same intensity
and enthusiasm that we might play
tennis. The Heian aristocrat was far more
likely to be judged by his poetic abilities
than by his military talenJs.
Yamato-e Paintings of Japanese sub-
jects in a distinctively Japanese style.
As opposed to the T'ang style that was
predominant in the Nara period and early
Heian period, yamato-e was a domestic
art that dealt primarily with poetic subject
matter-such as seasonal changes, the
romance of court life, and the beauty of a
f lowing streaffi, a,soaring bird, or other
subject matter that we now regard as
"typically Japanese.'
Yiisoku lntrlcate, exotic court patterns
that were specifically designed for use on
court. These designs were the exclusive
property of the Heian aristocracy; com-
moners were not permitted to wear them.
Zdgan The art of inlay. A kind of mar-
quetry in which the pattern is carved onto
l3r
 \

a plate and inlaid with gold, silver, and

wood. ln the Fujiwara era, it was applied
not only to wood and metal, but also to
silk cloth. The gold leaf was cut out in a
f ine design and applied to the textile with
lacquer. Zogan is similar to the damascene
process used by metalworkers today.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baker, Joan Stanley. Japanese Art.
London: Thames and Hudson, Ltd.,
1984.

Collcutt, Martin, Marius Jansefl, ond lsao

Kamaku ra. Cultural Atlas of Japan.
New York: Facts on File, lnc., 1gBB.

Hempel, Rose. The Golden Age of Japan.

New York: Rizzoli, 1983.

Minnish, Helen Benton. Japanese

Costutrto., Rutland, Vt., Efld Tokyo:
,' Charles E, Tuttle Co., 1963.

Murase, Miyeko, Tales of Japan. New york

and Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1 986.

Puette, William J. Guide to "The Tale of

Genji." Rutland, Vt.; orld Tokyo:
Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1983.

Seattle Art Museu m. A Thousand Cranes.

San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1gB7 .

Shikibu, Murasaki. The Tale of Genji.

Translated by Edward G. Seidensticker.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, lg7O.

Yoshikawa, Eiji . The Heike Story.

Translated by Fuki Wooyenaka
Uramatsu. Rutland, Vt., ofld Tokyo:
Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1950.

132

Lr
 Jeanne Allen is an American fabric
designerwho finds limitless inspiratrr)n r1r
It
,i1i. I
the art of Japan. She and her husbarrrl
I
ffitr ff# fiffi $ # ##$fl# $$i
f$,$$ began their own design business in I g / I
in Brighton, and eventually moved it to
J *s;r3Srj San Franosco, where the Jeanne-Mlrrr:
store and factory are still located. T lrey
qsxff rt UPT PEffi,PUST"AKAAH UG}I spend five months of every year in Kyoto.
f $.,' o "fr
,{an Japan, where they desrgn fabrics for tlrt:rr
;;:" . f,, .i.

i4 KARTU tsUKU next collection of colourful clothinq.

*
isf,*
a{5I1I &
;t L'"+'-

Other titles of interest

The Designer's Guide to Japanese

Patterns
No, tlhs. & tanda' J raru ru r Allr r.t

tengan pcmlnlarn With 136 illustrations, 1B in colottr

The Designer's Guide to Japanese

Patterns 2
The Edo Period
JTnTNEALLEN
With 141 illustratioins, 1 5 in cokttrr

Jonru SrnruLEy-BAKER
With 1 67 illustrations, 20 in rxtlottr
World of Art

Hokusai
One Hundred Views ol Mourrt I u;r
INTRODUCTIoN BY Ht NIIY [) SvII II I

With 77 double-paqr: rltto\ortr:

illu stratio n s

?
t

a.tf;f