Scene from “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara,” from The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion (Heiji monogatari)

Scene from “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara,” from The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion (Heiji monogatari)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion tells the story of a short civil war (1159–60) fought in Kyoto between two rival clans, headed by the warriors Minamoto no Yoshitomo and Taira no Kiyomori. The “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara” chapter deals with the escape of Emperor Nijō and his empress consort from the imperial palace, where they had been kept in captivity by the Minamoto clan, and their move to Kiyomori’s residence in the Rokuhara district. The Taira forces managed to smuggle the emperor out of the palace disguised as a lady-in-waiting. The dynamic composition and detailed depiction of the warriors suggest the tense atmosphere during the upheaval.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Scene from “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara,” from The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion (Heiji monogatari)Scene from “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara,” from The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion (Heiji monogatari)Scene from “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara,” from The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion (Heiji monogatari)Scene from “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara,” from The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion (Heiji monogatari)Scene from “Imperial Visit to Rokuhara,” from The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion (Heiji 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.