Choga

The wall paintings in each room of the Omima depict ceremonies closely associated with the Imperial Court. Groups of court officials in formal attire, festival processions, and figures leading horses are arranged in a panoramic composition, presenting a dazzling and celebratory scene.
The painting in the Jōdan-no-ma illustrates the Chōga, or New Year’s Audience Ceremony, a ceremony held on New Year’s Day in which the Emperor receives congratulations from the Crown Prince and court officials. Inside the Daigokuden building, the Takamikura (Imperial Throne) where the Emperor appears is partially visible, and opposite it, the Crown Prince and officials are shown standing in orderly formation. Although this ceremony, formalized in the early Heian period, eventually fell out of practice, the artwork offers a glimpse into how it may have appeared in its prime.　
The artist, Sumiyoshi Hirotsura, was the seventh-generation painter of the Sumiyoshi school, renowned for his expertise in Yamato-e (classical Japanese-style painting). He is known for producing works that reflect his deep knowledge of classical art, cultivated through years of copying and studying ancient paintings.