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The World of the Tale of Genji Favorite Source for Imagery and Motifs That Were Used in the Designs Fragrances and Guessing the Name, Developed in Edo Period

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Section 6 Symbols of each chapters of The Tale of Genji Special Exhibition Genji as a Design Source from the Genji-kō Incense Game Not only did the Tale of Genji inspire illustrated works, it was also a "Genji-kō" is a name of the kumikō incense game which is tasting different The World of the Tale of Genji favorite source for imagery and motifs that were used in the designs fragrances and guessing the name, developed in Edo period. Participants － A tale of Courty Romance － adorning interior furnishings, metalwork objects, textiles, and other would taste 5 different fragrances and draw a horizontal line to connect decorative art objects from the medieval period onward. the same fragrance. Thus drawn, figures appear in 52 different shapes, In order to represent a scene from this tale that was woven together by a wide range of characters, these designs singled out matching the number of chapters of the Tale of Genji except the first distinctive poems or symbolic motifs to indicate particular scenes and and the last ones, and they are called "Genji-kō" design. The "Genji-kō" thus further expanded the breadth of Genji imagery. For example, design often appears in various traditional craft works as well as design of in a famous scene from the “Evening Faces” chapter, Genji requests Japanese confectionery associated with the story of The Tale of Genji. a single moonflower that blooms at the residence next door to the 1 2 3 4 5 6 home of his wetnurse whom he has come to visit. Just at that moment, a young woman extends her hand to offer a fan for the flower to be placed on. In illustrations, these two images of moonflower and fan Kiritsubo Hahakigi Utsusemi Yūgao Wakamurasaki Suetsumu- The Tokugawa Art Museum were repeatedly selected as iconic symbols of that scene. In another hana Exhibition Rooms 7 to 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 From November 3 (Sat) technique, known as rusu-moyō (absent motifs), scenes from the tale to December 16 (Sun), 2018 were illustrated without any human figures in them and viewers were Organized by able to identify the different parts of the story through associations Momijinoga Hananoen Aoi Sakaki Hanachirusato Suma The Tokugawa Art Museum, suggested by certain fixed imagery. Hosa Library-City of Nagoya, and 13 14 15 16 17 18 Chunichi Shimbun National Treasure Akashi Miotsukushi Yomogiu Sekiya Eawase Matsukaze Ryōshibako Stationery Box Hatsune motif derived from The Tale of Genji 19 20 21 22 23 24 Edo period, 1639 Owned by Reisen-in Chiyo-hime, wife of the Written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu in the latter half of the Heian 2nd Owari Tokugawa Mitsutomo <The Tokugawa Art Museum> Usugumo Asagao Otome Tamakazura Hatsune Kochō period in an age before the advent of printing technology, the 25 26 27 28 29 30 Tale of Genji was disseminated via hand transcription and read Section 7 avidly by many people. The Tale of Genji was also illustrated Various Tales of Genji – the Spread to the Common Classes – Hotaru Tokonatsu Kagaribi Nowaki Miyuki Fujibakama shortly after its completion and numerous pictorial versions Starting in 1650 (Keichō 3), when the poet and maki-e lacquer artist 31 32 33 34 35 36 of the story continued to be produced through the medieval Yamamoto Shunshō (1610–1682) published an edition of the Tale of Genji and early modern eras. The National Treasure Tale of Genji with humorous illustrations, the readership of the Tale of Genji began to Illustrated Scrolls are not only the oldest surviving text version, expand. Makibashira Umegae Fujinouraha Wakana I Wakana II Kashiwagi they are also the oldest surviving illustrated edition of the tale Following this trend, numerous ukiyo-e woodblock prints were 37 38 39 40 41 42 produced taking subjects from the Tale of Genji and reimagining them in and are an extremely important work. This exhibition brings the context of the customs of their own times. This kind of parody was together the National Treasure Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls called mitate or yatsushi and incorporated wit and satire, while at the Yokobue Suzumushi Yūgiri Minori Maboroshi Niouno- along with various manuscripts and annotated editions and miya same time serving the purpose of helping the general public to more easily 43 44 45 46 47 48 commentaries, as well as illustrated versions from the Heian understand the classical content. Ukiyo-e prints based on the Tale of Genji period through the Edo period, offering a look back at the gained popularity after the vogue of Ryūtei Tanehiko’s (1783–1842) Nise history of the Japanese love for the Tale of Genji. Murasaki, Inaka Genji (Fake Murasaki and Country Genji) in particular. Kōbai Takekawa Hashihime Shiigamoto Agemaki Sawarabi 49 50 51 52 53 54 Yadorigi Azumaya Ukifune Kagerō Tenarai Yumeno- ukihashi The photograph above is: Wakamurasaki Scene from The Tale of Genji, Chapter Hashihime, The Maiden of the Bridge, © The Tokugawa Art Museum remade in the style of Edo period from the National Treasure Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls. By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni the 3rd) 1017 Tokugawa-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, 461-0023 Heian period, 12th c. Edo period, 1854 TEL: 052-935-6262 / FAX: 052-935-6261 / E-mail: [email protected] <The Tokugawa Art Museum> <The Tokugawa Art Museum> ＊ English text is translated by Maiko Behr and the curatorial staff of the Tokugawa Art Museum. -5- -6- -1- Section 1 and another was the Kawachi-bon edition, which was edited by Minamoto Section 5 Tale of Genji, a Story for Readers of All Eras no Mitsuyuki (1163–1244) and his son Chikayuki (1188?–1272). We call Lineages of Genji Pictures the manuscripts that follow in the tradition of these two revisions the Set against the backdrop of the Heian imperial court, the Tale of Genji is a aobyōshi-bon type and Kawachi-bon type, respectively. It is believed that Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji was being illustrated full-length novel revolving around the romance-filled life of its protagonist, In addition, there are various works that differ in the format of not long after the original text was completed. The National Treasure the Shining Prince Genji, and continuing through his son’s and his beppon beppon Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls are believed to have been produced in the the main text, known as . These can be divided between th grandson’s generations. The joys and sorrows of their lives are recounted the lineage of “old transmissions” that retain the format of the text as it first half of the 12 century at the imperial court. As the oldest surviving with rich sentiment through colorful accounts of their encounters and was before the rise of the aobyōshi-bon and Kawachi-bon versions and the manuscripts of the text, they are famous for accurately conveying the involvements with various ladies, giving the work a timeless appeal that “mixed text” and “altered text” lineages that arose after these two versions mood of a historical period close in time to the original work. has pulled at the heartstrings of readers throughout the centuries. appeared. After this, from the medieval period to the early modern From the Meiji period onward, reception of the Tale of From the Kamakura period to the early Muromachi period, the period, and then into the modern era, the tale was illustrated frequently Genji expanded beyond the direct transmission of the original text to Kawachi-bon and beppon lineages were predominant and after that the throughout the ages, giving rise to an important genre in the history of include great numbers of translations into modern languages as well as aobyōshi-bon became the dominant lineage. Here we present various Japanese painting known as Genji-e or “Genji pictures.” The formats of adaptations as manga comics. Here we start with a peek into the world of editions representing the aobyōshi-bon type, Kawachi-bon type, and these Genji-e were highly diverse, ranging from illustrations in handscrolls the Tale of Genji, which has been beloved from ancient times all the way to beppon type. and booklets to small-format images on the surface of fans or shikishi the present day. poem cards, hanging scrolls, screen and sliding door panel paintings and < Modern Japanese Translations > many other wide-ranging types. In terms of their mode of expression, Of all the numerous translations of the Tale of Genji into modern Important Cultural Property some illustrated the entire fifty-four chapters of the Tale of Genji as a set; A set of The Tale of Genji, others selected specific scenes and motifs and depicted them in close-up; Japanese that have been produced from the Meiji period to the present, known as "Kawachi-bon" edition the earliest of note were by the poet Yosano Akiko (1878–1942) and Kamakura period, 1258 still others approached the subject in the context of traditions of seasonal the novelist Tanizaki Jun’ichirō (1886–1965). Both were produced in Owned by Ashikaga Shogun Family, Toyotomi paintings or poem-paintings. Hidetsugu, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the 1st several installments, with repeated revisions, and the former includes Owari Tokugawa Yoshinao The National Treasure Tale of Genji Illustrated <Hōsa Library, City of Nagoya> National Treasure free translations as well as abridgements, making it simple and easily Tale of Genji Scrolls were transmitted to the Owari Tokugawa appreciated, while the latter is praised for remaining relatively faithful Illustrated Scrolls family in the form of three scrolls in the Edo Section 3 --- to the original. After these, authors and scholars of Japanese literature Conservation, period. However since the condition of the produced a diverse array of translations into modern Japanese.
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