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The Tale of Genji Album (Genji monogatari gajō)

Tosa Mitsunobu Japanese
with text by Various calligraphers Chinese

1510

Not on view

These paired paintings and calligraphic excerpts represent the oldest extant complete Genji album. The work was commissioned by Sue Saburō and his father, Sue Hiroaki, members of a warrior clan based in the western province of Suō (present-day Yamaguchi prefecture). Six noblemen each contributed their distinctive calligraphy to nine leaves. They brushed their texts on colorful papers (shikishi) painted in five hues with stenciled borders of dragons that emulated paper imported from China. The paintings are by renowned artist Tosa Mitsunobu, the court-appointed painting bureau director (edokoro azukari), who made Genji paintings a cornerstone of his studio practice. The collaborative endeavor produced a personalized compendium of Murasaki’s tale through evocative pairings of word and image.

The Tale of Genji Album (Genji monogatari gajō), Tosa Mitsunobu (Japanese, active ca. 1462–1525), Album of fifty-four paired paintings and calligraphic texts; ink, color, and gold on paper, Japan — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

土佐光信筆　源氏物語画帖

Title: The Tale of Genji Album (Genji monogatari gajō)

Artist: Tosa Mitsunobu (Japanese, active ca. 1462–1525)

Artist: with text by Various calligraphers (six)

Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)

Date: 1510

Culture: Japan

Medium: Album of fifty-four paired paintings and calligraphic texts; ink, color, and gold on paper

Dimensions: Each chapter pair: 9 9/16 × 14 3/8 in. (24.3 × 36.5 cm)
Each volume (closed): 13 7/16 × 17 11/16 × 5 13/16 in. (34.1 × 44.9 × 14.7 cm)

Classification: Illustrated Books

Credit Line: Lent by Harvard Art Museums/ Arthur M. SackIer Museum, Bequest of the Hofer Collection of the Arts of Asia

Accession Number: SL.7.2019.3.4a–h

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Asian Art at The Met

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