Title: Genji bá xiě Ichi Maki (Genji Excerpts, Volume One), Circa 1800-1900. A Beautiful, 30-Foot-Long Manuscript with Colorful Scenes from the Tale of Genji, Painted in the Heian Style
Author: Original Story by Murasaki Shikibu; Unknown Artist
Condition: Very Good
A Late Edo to Meiji Period, 19th century manuscript, entitled Genji bá xiě Ichi Maki, or Genji Excerpts, Volume One, the original title re-laid to the scroll’s inside.
As the title would entail, this manuscript is an emakimono handscroll of Murasaki Shikibu’s great literary work, the Tale of Genji often considered to be history’s first novel, and the first by a woman to have global recognition. The text itself is broken down in 54 chapters, depicting the lives of highborn courtiers of the Heian Period, and the text itself was originally written in hiragana. The first section, being chapters 1-33, focus on the life and experiences of Hikaru Genji, the titular protagonist, who is the son of Japanese Emperor Kiritsubo, and a low-ranking concubine. The second section of chapters 34-41 focus on his senior years and death, while the final section of chapters 42-54 focuses on Genji’s grandson Niou, and presumed son, Kaoru.
This handscroll contains what appears to be various scenes and imagery from the novel, with countless, brightly painted figures, mostly focusing and male and female courtiers, with their many layered vestments all uniquely painted, the style very much reminiscent of Heian Period emakimono picture scrolls produced in this manner. The artist must have spent considerable time studying 12th century handscrolls such as the Genji Monogatari Emaki (a famous example now held in the Tokugawa Art and Gotoh Museum) and others, to produce their manuscript in such a manner. It is rather similar to the Genji Monogatari Emaki also in this catalog, and one must wonder if it is the same artist who works on it, or one of the same school.
There is a provenance stamp for that of Matsuyama Bunko, a now-dissolved bookselling firm.
The paintings have been laid down and bound in a scroll for preservation, with a beautiful brocade decorated cover of green and white flowering designs, and there are jikusaki (knobs) made of lacquered wood. There is a wooden box to accompany it, preserving the scroll. The box itself has a label for the work, but it has largely worn away.
One brocade bound emakimono (picture scroll) painting on fine paper, 36.8 x 919 cm full length. The knobs are not included as part of the measurement.
This handscroll is in very good shape, with minimal rubbing or wear to the covers. There is some minor, scattered spotting and foxing, and some vertical stains, possibly from where each section was laid down. There are also a couple of creases.