Book
The tale of Genji : a Japanese classic illuminated
Publication Information
New Haven, Connecticut : Yale University Press
Physical Description
368 pages : color illustrations, photographs, portraits ; 29 cm
Summary
"With its vivid descriptions of imperial society, gardens, and architecture in early eleventh-century Japan, The Tale of Genji--often referred to as the world's first novel--has captivated audiences around the globe and inspired artistic traditions for a thousand years. Scenes from the tale adorn lavish screens, robes, lacquer boxes, incense burners, games, and even palanquins for transporting young brides to their new homes. This handsomely designed and profusely illustrated book introduces the outstanding art associated with Genji, while exploring the tale's wide-ranging influence on Japanese culture, design, and aesthetics into the modern era from Ukiyo-e to manga. Through discussions of more than one hundred works, this groundbreaking publication illuminates the classic tale's place within the history of Japanese literature and calligraphy. While highlighting key episodes and characters, the volume also raises issues related to the tale's female authorship and readership as well as to its Buddhist reception."
Notes
Catalog of an exhibition held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art from March 5-June 16, 2019.
Contents
- Introduction: a thousand years of the art of Genji / Essays. Learning the "women's hand" in Heian Japan: kana calligraphy and The Tale of Genji / Beyond narrative illustration: what Genji paintings do / Evolving iconographies of The Tale of Genji: early modern interpretations of a Yamato-e theme / Genji and good fortune: bridal trousseaux in the age of Tokugawa shoguns / Catalogue. Heian court culture and the transmission of the tale : entries 1-13
- Ishiyamadera and the Buddhist veneration of Murasaki Shikibu : entries 14-24 - Monochrome Genji pictures and the conventions of Hakubyō : entries 25-34
- Imagining Genji through Tosa-School paintings : entries 35-52
- Innovations and interventions in later Genji painting : entries 53-64
- An elegant lifestyle inspired by Genji: lacquers, garments, and games: entries 65-89
- Genji and print culture: from Ukiyo-e to Manga : entries 90-106
- Appendices. Shinden architecture and The Tale of Genji / Genji at a glance: fifty-four scenes from the Tale
Subjects
- Painting, Japanese > Themes, motives > Exhibitions.
- Arts and society > Japan > History > Exhibitions.
- Japanese literature > Heian period, 794-1185 > History and criticism > Exhibitions.
- Japan > In art > Exhibitions.
- Japan > Court and courtiers > In art > Exhibitions.
- Murasaki Shikibu, 978?- Genji monogatari > Illustrations > Exhibitions.
- Tale of Genji album > Illustrations > Exhibitions.