The Tales of Ise is a Heian Period (794–1185) story constructed around a collection of waka poems that are thought to depict the escapades of a real-life court noble, Ariwara no Narihira. This is a story about the man running away with a woman he is not permitted to marry and hiding in Musashi Plain, where tall grass grows. Pursuers armed with torches attempt to flush them out by setting fire to the field. Just at that moment, the woman cries out a poem professing her feelings for the man and asking them to stop. As a result, their lives are saved.
The layers of long-bladed grass are drawn with rhythmic brush strokes, conveying the vastness of the field. Although the woman’s face is not shown, the huddled figures of the man and woman are sufficient to convey the strength of their feelings for each other.
(YATSUYANAGI Sae)
The Tales of Ise is a Heian Period (794–1185) story constructed around a collection of waka poems that are thought to depict the escapades of a real-life court noble, Ariwara no Narihira. This is a story about the man running away with a woman he is not permitted to marry and hiding in Musashi Plain, where tall grass grows. Pursuers armed with torches attempt to flush them out by setting fire to the field. Just at that moment, the woman cries out a poem professing her feelings for the man and asking them to stop. As a result, their lives are saved.
The layers of long-bladed grass are drawn with rhythmic brush strokes, conveying the vastness of the field. Although the woman’s face is not shown, the huddled figures of the man and woman are sufficient to convey the strength of their feelings for each other.
(YATSUYANAGI Sae)