six panel screen with small paper leafs containing calligraphy or colorful images from the Tale of Genji against gold foil background painted with green grid patterns; tarnished silver and blue boarders across top and bottom

Scenes from The Tale of Genji [left of a pair], 17th century

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Pictures and short passages of text brushed on 108 small squares of paper arranged on the surface of these screens represent the entirety of The Tale of Genji, with a text-image pairing for each of the Tale’s 54 chapters. Reading the passages of classical Japanese written in elegant calligraphy, or identifying a specific scene from the Tale and recalling the characters and dramas involved, could provide hours of fun for the screens’ owners and guests. But the screens could just as easily serve simply as a luxurious gold-and-silver backdrop for a gathering

Details
Title
Scenes from The Tale of Genji [left of a pair]
Artist Life
1646 - 1710
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.79.40.1
Catalogue Raisonne
Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 73
Curator Approved

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six panel screen with small paper leafs containing calligraphy or colorful images from the Tale of Genji against gold foil background painted with green grid patterns; tarnished silver and blue boarders across top and bottom