Art and Royal Authority : On the Creation of Illustrated Scrolls during the Government of Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa

This article examines the illustrated scroll of events known as the Nenjū gyōji emaki and the narrative illustrated scroll Ban Dainagon emaki, which were produced during the government of Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa. By analyzing the items and actions that are depicted or mentioned in these scrolls, the article will study the circumstances in which the scrolls were created and examine the relationship between scroll-making and politics. The results will show that the ultimate goal of Go-Shirakawa's government in producing the two abovementioned illustrated scrolls was to document the state of royal authority in each period since the pre-Heian era.