Japanese Nobles Create Great Art

By Nick, Sean, and Eric

Court life

•A court is a group of nobles who live near and serve or advise a ruler •Nobles were separated from poor peasants•Very easy life•Called themselves “dwellers of the clouds”•Nobles loved beauty and elegance •The court of Heian became the center of art and learning

Fashion

•Cared a lot about appearance •Wore luxurious layered silk and gold robes•Loved elaborate outfits

Fun facts•Carried decorative fans with flowers and trees painted on them

An example of fancy Japanese outfits

Literature

•Took care with how they spoke and wrote•Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji•This novel was considered the first full length novel•Both men and women wrote poetry•Poems were usually about love or nature

Fun facts•Men usually wrote in Chinese while women usually wrote in Japanese

“The breezes of springAre blowing the ripples astrayAlong the water- Today they will surely meltThe sheet of ice on the pond.” -Kino Tomonori, from the Gosenshu

The Tale of Genji