The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 24, 2024

Scenes from the Tale of Genji

Scenes from the Tale of Genji

late 1700s
Location: not on view

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.
  • ?-1948
    William G. Mather [1857-1951], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1948-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Arts of Japan from the Cleveland Museum of Art: The Mansfield Art Center, March 25-April 22, 1979. Mansfield, Ohio: The Art Center, 1979. Reproduced: p. 4, no. 1
    Cunningham, Michael R. Unfolding Beauty: Japanese Screens from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001. Reproduced: p. 77, cat. no. 43
  • Japanese Gallery 235 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (January 24-October 11, 2020).
    Byobu: The Art of the Japanese Screen. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 8, 1987-January 10, 1988).
    Arts of Japan from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, OH (organizer) (March 25-April 22, 1979).
    Japanese Art. Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, OH (March 25-April 22, 1979).
  • {{cite web|title=Scenes from the Tale of Genji|url=false|author=|year=late 1700s|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1948.124