nise-e; Kamakura-period portrait style
Historical art term for a realistic portrait style popular in court circles during the Kamakura period. Often used in handscrolls and picture scrolls.
Nise-e is a portrait style that was popular in the imperial court during the Kamakura period.
This picture scroll contains several nise-e portraits depicting aristocrats of the time.
Standard kanji form for this historical art term.
Variant spelling with せ written out; less common but still encountered.
From 似 (ni, 'resemble') + 絵 (e, 'picture'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term refers to a realistic portrait style that emerged in the late Heian and flourished in the Kamakura period.