Illustrations of Genji Monogatari: Vol. 1, The Tale of Genji

17th century

Japanese

Japanese, 1617-1691

Japanese

Japanese

The Tale of Genji was written in the 1000s by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court in Kyoto. It details the trials of Genji, a cavorting young courtier. This set of handscrolls includes a passage of text and illustration for each of the tale’s fifty-four chapters. The paintings offer glimpses of the daily lives of courtiers, including meticulous detailing of the textures and colors of interior furnishings, décor, and fashion. Beginning in the 1400s, generations of painters of the Tosa school received patronage, primarily from members of the aristocracy.

Handscroll; color and platinum on paper

10 1/2 in. (26.67 cm)

L.: 35.67 ft

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

52.40.1

Photo: Spike Mafford

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistoryPortland, Oregon, Portland Art Museum, "Gift to a City: Masterworks from the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection in the Seattle Art Museum", cat. # 130

Published ReferencesFuller, Richard E. "Japanese Art in the Seattle Art Museum: An Historical Sketch." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1960 ("Presented in commemoration of the Hundredth Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the United States of America"), no. 138a and b

"Gift to a City" exhibition catalogue. Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1965, cat. no. 130

"Gift to a City: Masterworks From the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection in the Seattle Art Museum," Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1965, no. 130.

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Illustrations of Genji Monogatari: Vol. 1, The Tale of Genji

Illustrations of Genji Monogatari: Vol. 1, The Tale of Genji

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Resources