Wyniki wyszukiwania:

The classic portrayal of court life in tenth-century Japan

Written by the court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon, ostensibly for her own amusement, The Pillow Book offers a fascinating exploration of life among the nobility at the height of the Heian period, describing the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion, and whim dominated, while harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance. Moving elegantly across a wide range of themes including nature, society, and her own flirtations, Sei Shonagon provides a witty and intimate window on a woman's life at...

The Pillow Book is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shonagon during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002. In it she included lists of all kinds, personal thoughts, interesting events in court, poetry, and some opinions on her contemporaries. While it is mostly a personal work, Shonagon's writing and poetic skill makes it interesting as a work of literature, and it is valuable as a historical document. Part of it was revealed to the Court by accident during Shonagon's life.

Japanische Kultur und Lebensart erfuhr am Heian-Palast vor rund eintausend Jahren eine frühe Blüte. Doch wie ging es zu bei den »Royals« dieser fernen Epoche? Anschauliche Einblicke geben die Aufzeichnungen der Hofdame Sei Shonagon. Die gelehrte junge Frau lebte am kaiserlichen Hof und hielt »dem Pinsel folgend« alles fest, was ihr im Augenblick bemerkenswert erschien. Voller Witz und Scharfsinn, im Plauderton und oft mit dezidierter Meinung geht es um Mode, Macht und Müßiggang, Persönliches und Pikantes.

• »Ich werde nach Trost in diesen Zeiten gefragt. Ich sage:...

Japan in the 10th century stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. Inside this bubble, a subtle and beautiful world was in operation, and its inhabitants were tied to the moment, having no interest in the future and disdain for the past.

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon was a product of a tenth century courtier's experiences in the palace of Empress Teishi. A common custom of the time period, courtiers used to keep notes or a diary in a wooden pillow with a drawer. This "pillow book" reflects the confident aesthetic judgments of Shonagon and her ability...