The Yamai no soshi: A critical reevaluation of its importance to Japanese secular painting of the twelfth century.

Abstract

This dissertation challenges the traditional concept that the Yamai no soshi paintings were created as a set of rokudo-e. It is the author's opinion that the Yamai no soshi paintings were compiled from a wide variety of sources, including secular ones, much in the manner that setsuwa were collected into setsuwa-shu; and although one cannot rule out an intended rokudo theme on the compiler's part, there is no real basis for assuming such an intent lay behind the original creation of the paintings. In fact, it appears questionable whether a religious connotation is applicable to most of the paintings at all. In demonstrating the varied styles and levels of quality of the Yamai no soshi paintings, this dissertation argues the need for a reevaluation of their significance within the development of Japanese secular painting in the twelfth century. Chapter II presents a general background for the Yamai no soshi, a description of the contents of the paintings and a translation of the texts. Chapter III discusses the critical weaknesses of the rokudo theory. Chapter IV presents a stylistic analysis of the paintings. Chapter V discusses a second Illnesses scroll, known only through copies, that sheds vital light on theYamai no soshi. Chapter VI evaluates against the general background of Heian medicine the possibility that the paintings could be related to medical texts. Chapter VII establishes the feasibility of a connection between the Yamai no soshi and the setsuwa literary genre. Finally, Chapter VIII discusses the work in terms of its importance within the context of twelfth century secular painting.