The Pillow Book

E86156

The Pillow Book is a classic Japanese literary work by court lady Sei Shōnagon, consisting of witty, observant essays and lists that vividly depict court life and aesthetics during the Heian period.

Aliases (1)

Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Heian-period literature
Japanese literary work
essay collection
zuihitsu
adaptedAs films
stage works
alsoKnownAs Makura no Sōshi
associatedWith Empress Teishi NERFINISHED
author Sei Shōnagon
contains anecdotes
lists
personal reflections
poetic allusions
countryOfOrigin Japan
culturalSignificance key source on Heian court culture
genre diary literature
essay
zuihitsu
hasTheme aesthetic sensibility
courtly romance
impermanence
social observation
influenced Japanese essay tradition
Yoshida Kenkō’s Essays in Idleness
later zuihitsu works
literaryForm prose
literaryMovement Heian court literature
literaryStatus classic of Japanese literature
mainSubject Heian court life
aesthetics
observations
narrativePerspective first-person
originalLanguage Classical Japanese
preservationStatus survives in multiple textual recensions
primaryAudience Heian court aristocrats
setting Imperial court in Kyoto
studiedIn Japanese literature curricula
style fragmentary
observant
subjective
witty
timePeriodDescribed Heian period
titleInJapanese 枕草子
writtenByCulture Heian aristocracy
writtenByOccupation court lady
writtenCirca early 11th century
late 10th century

Referenced by (4)

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