A FINE SIX-PANEL ‘TALE OF GENJI’ BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN)

拍品描述

A FINE SIX-PANEL ‘TALE OF GENJI’ BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN) Japan, 17th-18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Ink, watercolors, gouache, gold paint, and gold foil on paper. Mounted on silk brocade on six wood panels supported within a secondary wooden framing structure. Exquisitely painted to depict court scenes from the Tale of Genji including a celestial boat, serene garden settings with blossoming trees, and a procession of dignitaries, all framed by sweeping clouds of gilt above and below. Image SIZE 126.5 x 281.5 cm, SIZE incl. frame 139.3 x 291.4 cm The Tale of Genji captures the refined aesthetics of Heian court life, where aristocrats valued seasonal beauty and poetic sensitivity as measures of character and status. This screen painting reflects that world, with figures seated in a palace interior - partially opened to the landscape - contemplating flowering trees that echo the novel’s recurring themes of impermanence and longing. Just as in Genji, the architectural openness blurs the boundary between human emotion and the natural world, making nature a silent participant in the story of love and courtly life. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related six panel screen depicting scenes from the Tale of Genji, dated to 1600-1700, 91 x 232 cm, in the Art Gallery of South Australia, accession number 997A40. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related later pair of six-fold screens depicting scenes from the Tale of Genji, dated 19th century, 151 x 362.8 cm, at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Art, 23 March 2000, New York, lot 175 (sold for USD 23,000 or approx. EUR 37,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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