The siege of the Sanjō Palace was the inciting incident of the Heiji Rebellion (平治の乱, Heiji no ran, January 19 – February 5, 1160) during the late Heian period of Japan . The conflict arose from feud between court advisors Fujiwara no Nobuyori and Fujiwara no Michinori, both of the powerful Fujiwara clan, with each respectively allied alongside the warrior clans of the Minamoto (Genji) and Taira (Heiki). The Siege is the focal point of the Japanese war epic (軍記物語, Gunki monogatari) The Tale of Heiji (平治物語, Heiji monogatari) and the corresponding Illustrated Scrolls of the Tales of the Heiji (平治物語絵巻, Heiji monogatari emaki). The Night Attack on Sanjō Palace (Sanjō-den yo-uchi no maki) handscroll is the most prominent of the three extant Illustrated Scrolls and belongs to The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in Boston, Massachusetts, where it currently resides on display.
The illustrated handscroll depicts the burning of the palace, and an inscription discussed the subsequent burning of Shinzei's manor: <blockquote>On the same day, at the hour of the tiger [four o’clock in the morning], the insurgents attacked and set fire to the residence of Shinzei, located on the streets Anegakōji and Nishi-no-tōin. For the past three or four years, because the use of weapons has been prohibited, peace has now reigned throughout the country; but now, owing to the sudden outbreak of these riots, the Imperial Palace, as well as the capital city, is filled with frightened men. People therefore, both high and low, are grieved and uncertain of what will befall them next. At over 22 feet long and 16 inches tall, the handscroll epitomizes the Yamato-é (literally, Japanese Pictures) style of art.
One of other two extant scrolls is owned by the Tokyo National Museum and was designated a National Treasure in 1955.
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File:Heiji Monogatari Emaki - Sanjo scroll part 1.jpg
File:Heiji Monogatari Emaki - Sanjo scroll part 2.jpg
File:Heiji Monogatari Emaki - Sanjo scroll part 3.jpg
File:Heiji Monogatari Emaki - Sanjo scroll part 4.jpg
File:Heiji no ran.jpg
File:Heiji Monogatari Emaki - Sanjo scroll part 6.jpg
File:Heiji Monogatari Emaki - Sanjo scroll part 7.jpg
File:Heiji Monogatari Emaki - Sanjo scroll part 8.jpg
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