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River Festival at Tsushima Shrine

River Festival at Tsushima Shrine exhibition

River Festival at Tsushima Shrine

High-resolution facsimiles

Material
printed, gold on washi paper
Period of creation
Tsuzuri Project Stage 11 2017–2018
Recipient
Tsushima city/Aisai city

Original

Historical era
Edo (17th century)
Material
ink, color, and gold on washi paper
Medium
pair of eight-fold screens
Size
Each screen H151.5 × W474.0 cm
Collection
British Museum

Description

Boasting a tradition of nearly 600 years, the Owari Tsushima Tenno Festival, the biggest festival of Tsushima Shrine, is known as one of Japan‘s three major river festivals due to its grandeur. This work is a pair of eight-fold screens. On a gold background, it depicts scenes of the boat festival on the Tenno River, the climax of the festival, which was held in the early evening of June 14 and the following morning of the lunar calendar (now the fourth Saturday in July and the following day). The right screen shows a scene on the Tenno River on the eve of the festival when five makiwara boats decorated with countless lanterns head towards the otabisho temporary shrine at the foot of the Tenno Bridge. The left screen represents a complete change from the eve of the festival and depicts the morning festival in which the boats built with cabins and decorated with Noh dolls and dragons are rowed on the river. At present, eight folding screens in which this festival was depicted have been confirmed in Japan and abroad, and this work is considered to be the oldest from its style. In addition to the boats on the river, the lively scenes on both banks of the river are drawn elaborately, which gives this work high value even as a genre painting of the first half of the Edo period.

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How the Works Are Created

How the Works Are Created

This section introduces the production process of high resolution facsimiles by combining Canon’s latest imaging technology and the authentic craftsmanship of Kyoto in the Tsuzuri Project.

About the Tsuzuri Project

About the Tsuzuri Project

This section shares the significance and passion behind the Tsuzuri Project and how we utilize the high resolution facsimiles of precious cultural assets, which are designated as national treasures and important cultural assets, and Japanese artworks that have left Japan.