The Tale Of Genji, Japanese Six-leaf Folding Screen - Japan 19th Century

Six-Leaf Screen, The Tale of Genji, Japan, 19th century. Six-panel screen; ink, color, gofun, and gold on paper, silk brocade border, black lacquer mounts, metal fittings decorated with the Tokugawa ka-mon. This large screen depicts chapters from the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) painted in ink and pigments. The clouds are made with gofun, gold leaf, and powder. Screens played a vital role in dividing spaces in Japanese homes, castles, and temples. They were periodically rotated to correspond with the seasons, festivals, or the whims of the collector. This 19th-century screen depicts one of the most famous subjects in Japanese literature and art, The Tale of Genji, attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century and considered the world's first modern novel. This novel describes the life of the emperor's son, depicted here in several scenes, and describes the customs of aristocratic society during the Heian period (807-1185). It has been the subject of numerous works of art since the 12th century. 170.5 x 370 cm Japan, 19th century.