Download PDF - Asian Art Museum | Education

this—mono no aware, a pathos for the fleeting moments of beauty, joy, even heartbreak
that are part of being human. These emotions and actions are portrayed using subtle means
in the pictures. For example, once we know that the figures on the boat are lovers stealing
away together, the inclining of their heads towards each other takes on new significance. On
the other hand, the scene in the lower left represents a woman trying to deflect unwanted
advances.
The book was first illustrated in handscroll form, with sections of text interspersed with
select images. It was painted in a consciously Japanese style called yamato-e. The text was
written in Japanese—during Murasaki’s day, men generally studied and wrote poetry in Chinese,
whereas women excelled in writing verse and prose using their native language and
script called kana.
How does this 17th century screen relate to the 12th century handscrolls?
These screens were painted some 600 years after Murasaki wrote her novel, and some 400
years after the earliest surviving paintings of the subject. There are hundreds of Genji images
in collections all over the world, in a variety of formats and styles, from handscrolls to writing
boxes, and from refined courtly paintings to irreverent spoofs in woodblock prints. The
subject was particularly popular during the Edo period, as part of a revival of courtly aesthetics
particularly among courtiers and merchants in Kyoto. With increased literacy of the
Edo populace, and woodblock renditions of the story available relatively cheaply, more people
could read the book and were familiar with the standard images.
What scenes are depicted here?
(Note: only the left screen is included in the slides. For information on the right screen, see
Kakudo, pp. 120–121.)
Viewer discretion advisory: The Tale of Genji is a romantic novel about the various affairs of
the nobility; it contains some steamy love poetry and a good deal of innuendo. We provide
uncensored information here, leaving it for teachers—you know your students best—to decide
how to introduce the material.
Imagine the left screen is divided into two sections, upper and lower. In the upper section,
chapter 51 Ukifune (A Boat upon the Water) is portrayed. The lower section illustrates
chapter 30 Fujibakama (Purple Trousers).
Chapter 30 Fujibakama (Purple Trousers)
The bottom half of this screen depicts one scene from Chapter 30, “Purple Trousers,” a
playful name for a lavender flower that blooms in fall. Yugiri, the son of Genji, comes as a
messenger to the home of Tamakazura, who is seated inside the building behind transparent
curtains. One of her attendants is seated on the verandah. Due to a recent death in the
court, all the characters are supposed to be in mourning, but that does not stop Yugiri from
pursuing Tamakazura.
Perhaps thinking that there would be another occasion to let her know of his interest, he
had come provided with a fine bouquet of “purple trousers.”
“We may find in these flowers a symbol of the bond between us.” He pushed them
under her curtains and caught at her sleeve as she reached for them.
Asian Art Museum Education Department