The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 13, 2025

Scenes from the Tale of Genji

1700s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)
Six-panel folding screen; ink, color, gold and gilding on paper
123.8 x 289.6 cm (48 3/4 x 114 in.)
Gift of Ross W. Comer 2024.160
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Distinct episodes are nestled within a matrix of golden clouds and landscape elements.

Description

Folding screens served as temporary dividers in traditional Japanese open-plan architectural spaces. This screen 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.
  • ?–c. 2020
    Kelvie C. Comer, Redmond, WA, given to her son Ross W. Comer
    c. 2020–2024
    Ross W. Comer, Redmond, WA, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2024–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Scenes from the Tale of Genji|url=false|author=|year=1700s|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2024.160