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

拍品描述

A SIX-PANEL ‘TALE OF GENJI’ BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN) Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gold and silver leaf on silk. Mounted on silk brocade on six lacquered wood panels with metal fittings. Finely painted with a series of courtly scenes set within pavilion interiors, depicted in isometric perspective characteristic of the yamato-e pictorial tradition. These interior ensembles are connected by red walkways over tranquil waters and rocky outcrops from which lush pine trees rise, inhabited by elegantly attired courtiers, all framed by sweeping clouds above and below. SIZE 171.4 x 367 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. Auction comparison: Compare a related pair of six-panel byobu (folding screens) depicting scenes from the Tale of Genji, Edo period, 17th-18th century, 94 x 270 cm, at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Art, New York, 23 March 2000, lot 177 (sold for USD 29,900 or approx. EUR 48,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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