Scroll 1 from Tale of Tawara Tōda (Tawara Tōda monogatari)

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Scroll 1 from 'Tale of Tawara Tōda' (Tawara Tōda monogatari) the text accompanied by six illustrations painted in ink, colours and gold on paper; made in Japan in the mid-17th century. One of a set of three handscrolls telling the popular tale of the Japanese warrior Tawara Tōda Hidesato (also known as Fujiwara no Hidesato). Recorded for his role in the suppression of the rebel Taira no Masakado in the year 940, over time Hidesato's exploits took on a more fantastic edge. In Scroll 1, Hidesato is shown coming to the aid of the underwater Dragon Kingdom by defeating the giant centipede of Mt. Mikami. This set of scrolls was conserved with the support of the Sumitomo Foundation at Restorient Studio, Leiden, between 2015 and 2018.