These monogatari-emaki (illustrated scrolls of tales) could depict in their own way of expression such stories as of "Makura no Soshi" (the Pillow Book), "Ise Monogatari" (the Tales of Ise), "Genji Monogatari" (the Tale of Genji), "Uji Shui Monogatari" (a collection of the Tales from Uji) and others, and especially "Genji Monogatari Emaki" (illustrated scrolls of the Tale of Genji) was drawn in rich colors to show the lives of noble class people, by using a special compositional technique called fukinuki-yatai which is useful to depict a residential interior without a roof and ceiling so that viewers can see overall conditions of the residence and furniture of that time.
物語絵巻は、『枕草子』『伊勢物語』『源氏物語』『宇治拾遺物語』などを、独特の表現で描写し、特に『源氏物語絵巻』は、濃厚な色彩で貴族の生活を描き、家屋は屋根を省略した吹抜屋台で描かれていて、当時の住居の状況や建具の使用状況などが一望できる。