Izutsu　井筒

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Also Tsutsu izutsu 筒井筒. Lit. a well curb. A painting subject associated with Episode 24 of ISE MONOGATARI 伊勢物語 (The Tales of Ise) where a boy and girl grow up together, and finally marry despite her father's interference. The story was further popularized by its dramatization by Zeami Motokiyo 世阿弥元清 (1363-1443) in a *nou 能 play, where the girl is identified as the daughter of Ki no Aritsune 紀有常 and the boy as Ariwara no Narihira 在原業平 (825-80), the protagonist of the Tale. In the story the boy recites a poem: "Tsutsuizu (or Tsutsuizutsu) no /izutsu ni kakeshi/maro ga take/suginikerashi na/imo mizaru ma ni　 つついづ (つついづつ)の / いづつにかけし / まろがたけ / すぎにけらしな / 妹見ざるまに" (My height that we measured/At the well curb/Has, it seems, /Passed the old mark/Since last I saw you ; trans. McCullough). The theme was a popular one in yamato style painting *yamato-e やまと絵 and can also be found in woodblock prints *ukiyo-e 浮世絵.

REFERENCES:

*ise monogatari-e 伊勢物語絵

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