Scenes and Calligraphic Excerpts from The Tale of Genji
This pair of screens illustrates scenes from The Tale of Genji, the monumental eleventh-century classic by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu. The paintings, produced by an artist or artists of the Tosa school, are affixed to the screen panels at different heights, as are the shikishi of decorated paper upon which passages from the tale are inscribed, predominantly in kana. This format was not unusual for a set of Genji screens; what distinguishes this example is the spectacular continuous landscape of mountains, clouds, and water rendered mostly in shades of gold—with sprinkled gold powder and flakes as well as silver leaf. This gorgeous backdrop conjures up the court culture of the Heian period (794–1185), while the calligraphy reflects Momoyama-period (1573–1615) styles.
Artwork Details
- 土佐派筆 源氏物語図色紙貼交屏風
- Title: Scenes and Calligraphic Excerpts from The Tale of Genji
- Artist: Paintings by an artist or artists of the Tosa School
- Period: Momoyama (1573–1615) or Edo period (1615–1868) period
- Date: early 17th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on decorated-paper shikishi (poetry cards)
- Dimensions: Image: 31 1/8 in. × 9 ft. 1/4 in. (79 × 275 cm)
Overall with mounting: 35 13/16 in. × 9 ft. 5 3/8 in. (91 × 288 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.420.13.1, .2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Tosa School
Tosa School
17th century
Tosa School
late 18th century
Tosa School
late 18th century
Returned to lender
Tosa School
early 17th century
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