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Identification and Creation

Object Number
2016.236
Title
Illustrated Mirror of Emperors and Song of Everlasting Sorrow
Other Titles
Alternate Title: 帝鑑図・長恨歌
Classification
Paintings
Work Type
screen, painting
Date
late 18th century
Culture
Japanese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/356357

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on paper
Technique
Painted
Dimensions
each screen, painting only: H. 152.4 × W. 353.1 cm (60 × 139 in.)
each screen overall, open flat: H. 167.6 × W. 368.3 cm (66 × 145 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • Signed: Unsigned
  • inscription: None

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Charles W. Downer, Cambridge, MA (mid-1970s - 2016), gift; to Harvard Art Museums 2016.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Charles Webster Downer, Elizabeth B. Downer, and Ahab Charles Webster Downer in memory of Harriette "Heidi" Draper Downer
Accession Year
2016
Object Number
2016.236
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
Four subjects are combined (two per screen) on this pair of folding screens. The right hand screen appears to depict the mythical ruler Huangdi (ca. 3000 BCE) and the incident known as “Huangdi Constructs a South-facing Carriage” paired with an episode from the Song of Everlasting Sorrow known as “Elegant Battles.” The left hand screen depicts the story “Emperor Shun Plays the Zither” paired with “The Butterfly and the Emperor’s Visit,” another incident from the ballad in which Minghuang releases a butterfly, which leads him to the palace where the court ladies reside.

Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 2600 East Asian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 12/07/2018 - 06/04/2019

Related Works

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu