[The relation between the contents of "Yamaizoushi" picture scrolls and Goshirakawa Houou's thought].
"Yamaizoushi," depicting the "human way" of reincarnation in Buddhism, was ordered by Goshirakawa Houou in the latter half of the 12C. This paper deals with the relation between the contents of "Yamaizoushi" and Goshirakawa Houou's thought. While earlier literature about "Yamaizoushi" emphasized its religious aspects, this paper suggests that "Yamaizoushi" actually lacks a sense of religion, because the accompanying texts are not related to any sutra, and the pictures are mocking sick people. The paper argues that these features originate from Goshirakawa Houou's discriminative feelings towards the sick, which were actually typical for that time. The lack of sympathy may also be due to the fact that, as a noble, he hadn't really experienced any hardships of human existence himself. In ordering such a scroll, Goshirakawa Houou was hunting for the bizarre. The paper claims these are the reasons why the "Yamaizoushi" picture scroll is so different from any other paintings depicting the "human way".
Koyama
Satoko
S
D001154:Art / Q000266:history*; D002016:Buddhism / Q000266:history*; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D012068:Religion and Medicine