Title: Go-Sannen Kassen Ekotoba (Scroll of the Latter Three Years' War), Circa 1800-1850. An Emakimono Picture Scroll of the Gosannen War, Containing the First Two Large Sections from Volume 1 of 3
Author: After Korehisa Hidanokami
Condition: Very Good
A Late Edo Period, early to mid 19th century emakimono handscroll containing the first two parts of five from the first volume of the Go-Sannen Kassen Ekotoba or Scroll of the Latter Three Years' War.
The Gosannen War was part of a long struggle for power within the warrior clans of the time and arose as a series of quarrelled within the Kyohara Clan. When Minamoto no Yoshiie, who became Governor of Mutsu province in 1083, tried to calm the fighting which continued between Kiyohara no Masahira, Iehira, and Narihira, negotiations ultimately failed, and Yoshiie was forced to use his own forces to stop the fighting, resulting in the deaths of Iehira and Narihira.
Throughout the centuries, numerous copies have been produced, but the most famous is an early Muromachi Period copy from 1347 attributed to Korehisa Hidanokami, the oldest one among existing picture scrolls on the Gosannen Kassen. Currently, three volumes remain, but since the original scroll is believed to have been comprised of six volumes, the scene of the first half of the battle must have been lost. The lost legend, however, can be complemented by Oshu Gosannen-ki written by Gen-e, a learned priest of Mt. Hiei.
This is a later copy following that manuscript, and the illustrations have been faithfully copied as such, with a profuse use of hand coloring, and considerable detailing to the armor and weaponry of each warrior and samurai present. The visual narratives of the first two sections are as followed:
1. After hearing that Iehira has driven away Governor Yoshiie, Takehira arrives to congratulate Iehira and advises him to move to the more secure and defensible Kanazawa stockade. Takehira and Iehira talk together in the garden while to the left Takehira’s troops set out for the stockade.
2. Yoshimitsu, the brother of Governor Yoshiie, resigns his position in office on account that the Retired Emperor did not grant his appeal to join his brother in the life-or-death battle against Takehira. Now, with Yoshimitsu on the battlefield, the frontal forces of Yoshiie begin their attack on the Fort. Members of the fort fight back with arrows and one of them injures Kagemasa of Sagami, who fought recklessly against the enemy. The arrow has gone through Kagemasa’s helmet and pierces him in his right eye. Kagemasa breaks off a part of that arrow and throws it back at the enemy, then takes off his helmet to announce his injury. Yoshiie’s soldiers are still unable to break through the fort.
The paintings have been laid down and bound in a scroll for preservation, with a beautiful brocade decorated cover, and there are jikusaki (knobs). The handscroll is enclosed in a wooden box.
One brocade bound emakimono (picture scroll) on paper, roughly 44.8 x 880 cm
This emakimono is in very good shape, with minimal rubbing and wear to the decorated cover. There are a few small tears to the upper and lower margins closer to the end, not impacting the paintings. There are several old repairs, and a few vertical crease stains, as well as some creasing in general. One of the jikusaki is chipped.