Scenes from the Tale of the Soga Brothers
Date18th century
PeriodEdo period (1615–1868)
CultureJapanese
MediumSix-panel folding screen; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper
ClassificationPaintings
Credit LineMuseum Purchase, 2015
Object numberSN11433
Originally one of a pair, this screen represents scenes from the tale of the Soga brothers. The story, which dates from the 12th century, tells of how brothers Jurō and Gorō avenged the wrongful death of their father by killing his murderer Suketune, a favorite vassal of the shogun, during a hunting excursion. The two brothers succeeded in their mission, but Jūrō, the elder, was killed in the fray and Gorō, the younger, was captured and executed. Many versions of this tale were written, and the heroic brothers became popular subjects in the visual arts and on the kabuki stage.
On View
Not on view
Late 17th–early 18th century
Late 17th–early 18th century
c. 1880–1910
late 19th or early 20th century