Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace, Kamakura Period (Japan) (1250–1300)

I. IDENTIFIERS

Artist/Attribution: Unknown artist

Date: Kamakura period, second half of the 13th century (circa 1250–1300)

Medium: Handscroll; ink and color on paper

Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Culture/Period: Japanese / Kamakura period

II. HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace depicts a key event during the Heiji Rebellion of 1150 (specifically the night attack that happened in January of 1160, during the late Heian period). Minamoto no Yoshitomo a noble, and Fujiwara no Nobuyori a warrior staged a coup d'état against the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa, in which he kidnaped him and burned down his main residence, the Sanjô Palace.

The event depicted in the scroll occurred in the late Heian era. However, this handscroll was created a century later during the Kamakura period. During the Kamakura period there was a rise in prominence in the warrior class (samurai) and feudal military rule under the shogunate (a military government in Japan led by a military leader). The art of this period portrays a dramatic shift from the sober aesthetics of the Heian court and instead the subject matter becomes bold, and has an energetic visual narrative that emphasizes military prowess, action, and realism.

III. SUBJECT MATTER

The Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace is a continuous visual narrative that is meant to be unrolled and read from right to left. It puts the viewer directly into the chaotic and climax of the Heiji Rebellion. The scene explodes with violence as the rebel forces of Fujiwara no Nobuyori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo swarm to the palace grounds. The viewer sees a heavily armored samurai on horseback and aggressive soldiers trampling over terrified nobles and ladies-in-waiting that are desperately trying to flee.

In the center of the scroll, a massive, swirling fire consumes the wooden architecture of the Sanjô Palace. The flames are painted with vibrant reds and oranges, that are surrounded by thick, black and gray smoke that practically chokes the air. In the middle of this terrifying chaos, the focal point of the rebellion is spotted: the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa being forcefully shoved into a wooden ox carriage by the rebel warriors.

The artist's use of strong diagonal lines that are seen in the rooftops, the palace walls, and the surging movement of the warriors create a theatrical sense of panic, confusion, and motion. The Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace is an incredibly captivating scene, highlighting the brutal reality of war, the panic of the nobles, and the fierceness of the samurai.

IV. ABOUT THE CULTURE

The Kamakura period (1185–1333 A.D.) is such a fascinating and defining era for Japan. Before the Kamakura, Japan’s was in the Heian period whcih was ruled by an imperial court obsessed with aesthetics, poetry, romantic affairs, and strict etiquette (this was the era that produced The Tale of Genji). However, by the late 12th century, that refined aristocratic world completely shattered.

Power shifted entirely from the elegant nobles in Kyoto to the rugged, hardened warrior samurais. After the bloody civil war between rival clans (the Genpei War), the Minamoto clan emerged victorious. They established a bakufu (tent government) in Kamakura, turning Japan into a feudal military dictatorship. This was a completely different world from the previous one. Perfumes and poetry became less important loyalty, bravery, honor, discipline, and martial skill that the samurais valued. 

Since the new rulers of Japan were warriors, the culture and art dramatically changed to match their tastes. The samurai rejected dreamy, static court scenes and overly idealized religious icons. Instead they wanted realism, action, and epic historical battles that showcased their own military prowess. Handscrolls (emaki) like this one became the perfect medium to tell violent stories of loyalty, betrayal, and conquest. Handscrolls acted almost like early cinematic movies for the samurai elite to consume. It allowed them to vividly remember and celebrate their bloody rise to power.

V. PERSONAL CONNECTION

Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace was selected as part of Iliostacio due to its theatrical expression of the transfer of power. When there is a change in power, most cultures simply begin to do art aligned to the new ruling system, while this culture asserts their collective ego through art. This handscroll is a beauty that makes viewers question the importance of power and the continous narrative that is expressed with it, ranging from the magnitude of the fire to the slaughtering of old rigid systems (Emperor Go-Shirakawa).