Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Calligraphic Excerpts from The Tale of Genji
Konoe Nobutada Japanese
Not on view
In this folded album, prose excerpts from Chapter 39, “Evening Mist” (Yūgiri), are inscribed across a gorgeous abstract landscape. The decoration of the paper in gold and silver paint highlighted with flecks of gold creates a radiant effect that recalls the luxurious treatments used for deluxe manuscripts in the Heian period. As a high-ranking courtier, who even served as regent (kanpaku) to Emperor Go-Yōzei, Konoe Nobutada had access to such sumptuous embellished papers. His calligraphy attests to both his mastery of courtly styles and his innovative, muscular aesthetic. Nobutada wrote each character firmly yet gave the columns an elegant, rhythmic flow. The clusters of kana connected by ligatures lend an overall coherence to the composition, even while the unconnected characters stand out.
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