The Gion festival (pair with B60D9)

祇園祭礼図屏風

This pair of screens (B60D9 and B60D45+) depicts a scene from the annual festival that takes place at the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto’s Gion district. Celebrated every summer since the 800s, this is considered one of the most important festivals in Japan. Each screen depicts a colorful procession led by a sumptuously decorated float with a halberd and followed by other floats and traditional umbrellas. Interspersed are oxcarts carrying long, flat boards that can be laid on the unpaved streets to allow the floats to make difficult turns. Some of the townspeople are on the floats playing music; some are pulling the floats with all their might. The rest are spectators enjoying themselves inside buildings or on the street.