The Battle at Ichinotani, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)

The Battle at Ichinotani, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The victory of the Minamoto over the Taira clan, which marked the close of the Heian period (794–1185), was assured by the battle at Ichinotani, along the western shore of Japan, in 1184. Confrontations of warriors around the Taira stronghold are described in the ninth section of the historical chronicle known as The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari). In the center of the two left panels is a famous encounter between young Taira Atsumori, fleeing on horse-back into the water, and veteran Minamoto warrior Kumagai Naozane, war fan in hand, who calls Atsumori to return and fight.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Battle at Ichinotani, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)The Battle at Ichinotani, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)The Battle at Ichinotani, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)The Battle at Ichinotani, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)The Battle at Ichinotani, from The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari)

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.