Annotated Bibliography of Japanese Handscrolls

by Nicole Fabricand-Persons These Interactive sites provide an intimate look at Japanese hand scrolls highlighting the intricacy of the words and/or images.

Heiji monogatari emaki “The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion” scroll (13th century)

• The story of the Heiji Rebellion depicted in this scroll is explained in an easy to understand method. Explanations are given of the whole scroll as well as to the individual faces of the warriors.

Dōjōji engi emaki “Miraculous Tales of the Dōjō Temple” (16th century)

• An up-close look at the Dōjōji picture scroll complete with tools to simultaneously view the whole image as well as the fine details.

The Deer Scroll (dated ca. 1610) by artists Honami Kōetsu and Tawaraya Sōtatsu

• An interactive reproduction of the Deer Scroll, a compilation of images and poems made by two acclaimed historical Japanese artists. The site provides both English and Japanese translations of the poems.

Shinkokin wakashū poetry scroll (early 17th century) by Honami Kōetsu

• A scroll written by the renown artist Honami Kōetsu. The site allows viewers to scroll through the work themselves and are provided with the translations of the poems.

15 different interactive handscrolls—site in Japanese

• An interactive Japanese site providing an up-close look at 15 different handscrolls.