Artwork Page for Scenes from the Tale of Genji

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Scenes from the Tale of Genji

源氏物語図屏風

late 1700s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)
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Medium
Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on gilded paper
Measurements
Image: 154.4 x 351.2 cm (60 13/16 x 138 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of William G. Mather 1948.124
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Folding screens served as temporary dividers in traditional Japanese open-plan architectural spaces. This pair was inspired by Japan’s most celebrated work of literature, the Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu, an attendant to the empress in the early 11th-century imperial court. The novel follows the love life of the “Shining Prince” Genji and delves into the psychological states of his many companions. Distinct episodes are nestled within a matrix of golden clouds and landscape elements. Each screen includes six episodes presented in a nonlinear fashion, capturing scattered highlights of the story.
Two six-panel folding screens depict narrative scenes on gilded paper using ink and color. Billowing gold clouds divide figures with light skin tones wearing voluminous robes. On the top screen, people gather amidst architecture, dark blue water, and a snowy tree. On the lower screen, groups sit on green mats or walk beneath blossoming trees. Buildings are viewed from above, their roofs partially obscured to reveal interior courtly activities.

Scenes from the Tale of Genji

late 1700s

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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