Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

Murasaki Shikibu, depicted here writing at her desk at Ishiyama-dera inspired by the Moon. 18th-century (Edo period) woodblock in the ukiyo-e style, by Suzuki Harunobu, c. 1767.

Late 17th-century or early 18th-century silk scroll painting of a scene from chapter 34 of Tale of Genji showing men playing in the garden watched by a woman sitting behind a screen.

Early 12th-century handscroll scene from Genji, showing lovers separated from ladies-in-waiting by two screens, a kichō and a byōbu.

Early 12th-century painting showing a scene from Genji of women in a traditional room partitioned by fusuma, shōji and a kichō. This work is listed as National Treasure of Japan.

Fusuma

Shōji

Kichō

Hiroshige ukiyo-e, (1852), shows an interior court scene from The Tale of Genji.

In this c. 1795 woodcut, Murasaki is shown in discussion with five male court poets.

Incense Ceremony or Kodo(from The Umegae Chapter (A Branch of Plum)

"Prince Hotaru came calling on the tenth of the Second Month. A gentle rain was falling and the rose plum near the veranda was in full and fragant bloom. The ceremonies were to be the next day. Very close since boyhood, the brothers were admiring the blossoms when a note came attached to a plum branch from which most of the blossoms had fallen."

Hand ScrollArtist Unknown

Genji Monogatari (Tale of Genji)About mid-18th century

Color on paper

Art historians often refer to Tale of Genji hand scrolls as "monoscenic narratives." A short section of text and an illustration represents each chapter of the tale. Although variations appeared from time to time, in general, the selection of text-image combinations was fairly standard. The three sections displayed here are from the third, fourth and fifth chapters.

Chapter three is titled Utsusemi, for the young woman with whom Prince Genji has fallen in love. He is spying on her as she plays go with her companions. Later, Genji will slip into her room, but Utsusemi will escape his advances and Genji will make love to her companion instead.

Yugao, the title of chapter four and the name of the mysterious woman Genji pursues in this chapter, means "evening face," the type of flower seen growing over the fence in this scene. It was these flowers that first attracted Genji to this residence and to the woman who inhabits it. The scene depicts Genji's servant asking one of Yugao's attendants about the flowers and the occupants of the house.

This scene from the fifth chapter, titled Waka Murasaki (Young Murasaki), depicts Genji's initial attraction to Murasaki, who will eventually become his truest love. He watches from behind a brushwood fence as she expresses her anger because one of her companions has released her pet sparrow. At this time, Murasaki is barely ten years old, but Genji finds her bright and precocious character too endearing to resist. Later in the story, he becomes her guardian and then takes her as his mistress when she reaches adolescence. The flowering cherry trees indicate that the scene takes place in spring, but they also symbolize the blossoming of new love.