Fujiwara no Narimichi, Talented Player of Kemari (Ancient Imperial Football Game) 

Fujiwara no Narimichi was a court noble in the Heian Period (794–1185). He was highly skilled at kemari, an ancient football-like game, and was known as Kikusei, which meant he was a talented player of the game. The scene shown is a famous one from his diary. One night, three kemari ball spirits appear and praise Narimichi for his diligent training. According to his diary, the spirits looked like children with human faces and monkey hands and feet, but Imamura Shiko depicts them as baby monkeys. The work features gently intoned lines, pale colors, and exquisitely controlled void space that captures the distance between Narimichi and his visitors. In contrast to Narimichi’s kind expression, the monkeys appear oddly meek. The painting’s concise and spontaneous forms along with its heartwarming atmosphere are the trademarks of Shiko’s art. Also impressive is the ingenuity of the composition, which conveys the presence of a third monkey without actually showing it.
(UCHIYAMA Junko)