The Saltmaker's Story

文正草子

early 1600s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)

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Medium

One of a pair of handscrolls; ink, color, and gold on paper

Measurements

Overall: 17.7 x 917.5 cm (6 15/16 x 361 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund 1972.12.2

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

This handscroll originally had texts before its paintings, but the texts were removed.

Description

Once read and copied by girls at New Year’s celebrations and included in dowries, The Saltmaker’s Story is a rags-to-riches tale in which daughters are gifts from the gods. Despite his simple outlook, the main character progresses from humble roots as an associate at Kashima Shrine to the elite status of grandfather of the emperor through the intervention of the Kashima deity. The Saltmaker’s Story is traditionally presented in a set of three scrolls, but the text of this set has been removed by a previous owner, who remounted the illustrations as a pair. The paintings of this one take us from right to left through the second half of the tale.