Illustrations of Genji Monogatari: Vol. 4, Blue Trousers

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Illustrations of Genji Monogatari: Vol. 4, Blue Trousers

Date17th century

Maker Tosa Mitsuyoshi Japanese

Maker Karasumaru Mitsukata Japanese

Label TextThe 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.

Object number52.40.4

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art, December 22, 2012 - July 21, 2013 Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "A Thousand Years of Beauty: Japanese Art in Seattle", July 16, 2001 - November 17, 2002 Portland, Oregon, Portland Art Museum, "Gift to a City: Masterworks from the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection in the Seattle Art Museum", cat. # 130Published References"Gift to a City" exhibition catalogue. Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1965, cat. no. 130

Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection

Dimensions10 1/2 in. (26.67 cm) L.: 33.5 ft

MediumHandscroll; color and platinum on paper