Screen with Scenes from The Tale of Genji, Miotsukushi Episode

Japan, 19th century, late Edo period – early Meiji period
Kanō School
By Kanō Sosen Toshinobu
Signed 狩野素川寿信筆, Kanō Sosen Toshinobu hitsu
Pigments and gold leaf on paper, mounted as a six-panel screen

This six-panel screen depicts several scenes from the Genji monogatari, The Tale of Genji, a great court novel composed in the early 11th century by Murasaki Shikibu. The work recounts the life of Prince Hikaru Genji and the refined world of the Heian aristocracy, where court relations, poetry, music, seasons, and famous places structure the narrative.

The composition is built on a broad gold leaf background, animated by large golden clouds that segment the space and isolate the scenes. Palace architectures are represented using the fukinuki yatai technique, or "blown-off roof," which opens interiors to view. The court figures, bamboo blinds, musical instruments, layered costumes, pines, deep waters, the torii, the carriage, and the aristocratic procession place the work in the tradition of Genji-e, paintings inspired by The Tale of Genji.

The most clearly identifiable scene is that of Miotsukushi, chapter 14 of the novel. It is recognizable by the Sumiyoshi shrine, evoked by the red torii, Genji's lavish procession, the court carriage, and the boat visible on the water. In this episode, Genji goes to Sumiyoshi to thank the deity after his return from exile. Akashi no Kimi, also on pilgrimage, glimpses the splendor of his procession from her boat. The scene conveys the distant encounter between two beings linked by love and separated by rank.

The signature reads 狩野素川寿信筆, meaning "painted by Kanō Sosen Toshinobu." Sosen corresponds to the art name 素川. Toshinobu corresponds to the characters 寿信 / 壽信, also read Jushin in some Japanese notices. The National Diet Library gives the reading Kanō Toshinobu and mentions Kanō Sosen as another name. The Itabashi Museum uses the reading Kanō Jushin for the same characters 狩野寿信 and indicates the dates 1814–1897.

Condition: wear, light scuffs, and signs of use, consistent with the age and use of a screen. The reverse is covered with dark blue-gray plain paper. The whole retains a strong decorative presence and a good overall state of preservation.

Open dimensions: 119 × 283 cm.