Little Purple Gromwell (Wakamurasaki), and A Boat Cast Adrift (Ukifune) Chapters from The Tale of Genji

a) This scene from Chapter 5 introduces young Murasaki, who Genji glimpses from behind a brushwood fence. She stands near her grandmother, a nun with short hair seated in front of a painting of bamboo, watching attendants chase after Murasaki’s escaped pet sparrow. A second image of Genji, resting in the building near 
the top of the painting, shows him looking forlorn, as if contemplating the recent death of his lover Yūgao, or his affair with his father’s consort Fujitsubo, whose pregnancy is revealed in this chapter. Likely painted by a Kano-school artist, this painting captures the vibrant landscape of the northern hills with rugged boulders, mountain cherry trees in bloom, and a rushing waterfall.

b) This scene from Chapter 51 shows Niou at Uji, where Ukifune has been hidden away by Niou’s rival, Kaoru. Attendants work by lamplight, sewing and cutting fabric to prepare Ukifune’s garments for the next day’s pilgrimage to Ishiyamadera. Ukifune sits between a folding screen and a standing curtain, and in the tale, Niou is said to notice her long hair and her aura of nobility. As the daughter of the Eighth Prince (Hachinomiya) she is of royal lineage, but for now, Niou simply marvels at her resemblance to his wife, Nakanokimi, unaware that they are half sisters. Later, Ukifune will consider casting herself into the Uji River to escape the dilemma of being both in love with her sister’s husband and sought after by Kaoru.