Research on the Reconstruction of Han-era Narrative Literary Arts through the Media of Portrait Steles

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370402
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Chinese literature
• Research Institution: Prefectural University of Hiroshima
• Principal Investigator: Yanagawa Junko 県立広島大学, 人間文化学部, 教授 (60210291)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 画像石 / 歴史故事 / 宴席 / 語り物 / 演劇 / 楽府詩

Outline of Final Research Achievements

By examining portrait steles carved into the walls of tombs from the Han period, this study has made it clear that oral folklore based on historical events was recounted at banquets held at that time. The main grounds of this argument are that portrait steles that depict historical events frequently appear next to icons that vividly depict feasts, and it has been shown through the surviving written records that the entire literary style of these documents suggests that these narratives were acted out. Additionally, the affinity between the setting of a banquet and historical events is shown in the fact that the entertainment during Han period banquets consisted of Pi wu poems (Yue fu) which were frequently composed of historical events described in the portrait steles.

Free Research Field

中国古典文学