Who painted Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest?

Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest was painted by Unknown in 1404.

Where can I see Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest?

Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest?

Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest is associated with Nanga.

Artwork

Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest

Unknown , 1404

Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest is an unspecified painting by the Nanga artist Unknown. It dates from 1404 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This narrow hanging scroll illustrates a scene from a poetry contest drawn from the classic 11th‑century novel The Tale of Genji.

Accession no.: 1989.119
Credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leighton R. Longhi

About this work

You see a narrow strip of paper with two figures facing each other: a woman in layered robes and a bearded man in court dress.

You see a narrow strip of paper with two figures facing each other: a woman in layered robes and a bearded man in court dress. Above their heads float tiny black numbers and lines of Japanese script.

This scroll was once part of a long, unrolled story showing a poetry contest from The Tale of Genji, a 1,000-year-old novel. The woman’s nickname, “Goose in Fog,” comes from a sad line she hums in the book. The artist left no name, so we don’t know who painted it or what colors were used.

To see more scrolls like this, look up japan, muromachi period (1392–1573).

Overview

This narrow hanging scroll illustrates a scene from a poetry contest drawn from the classic 11th‑century novel The Tale of Genji. Two figures, a woman in layered court robes and a bearded gentleman in formal attire, stand opposite one another, their dialogue rendered as numbered verses of waka poetry that hover above their heads.

Subject & Meaning

The female participant is identified by the nickname “Kumoi no kari” (literally “Goose in Fog”), a reference to a melancholy line she sings in the narrative. Opposite her is the poet known as Higekuro no taishō, or “General Blackbeard.” The scroll displays three of his verses (numbers 46–48) from the chapter “The Handsome Pillar,” followed by three responsive verses attributed to Kumoi no kari, drawn from the chapters “The Plum Tree Branch,” “New Wisteria Leaves,” and “Evening Mist.”

Technique & Style

Executed on a thin strip of paper, the work employs delicate line drawing to delineate the figures and their garments, while the poetry is inscribed in small black characters above each participant. The composition is linear, emphasizing the exchange of verses rather than elaborate background detail, a typical approach for narrative scrolls of the period.

History & Provenance

The scroll formed part of a longer handscroll that once presented the entire poetry contest from The Tale of Genji. The artist’s identity remains unknown, and no surviving pigment analysis confirms the original colour scheme. The fragment survived as an independent hanging scroll, preserving a segment of the larger narrative.

Context

Poetry contests were a popular literary motif in Japanese court culture, especially during the Muromachi period (1392–1573), when illustrated scrolls often visualized scenes from classical texts. This piece reflects that tradition, linking visual art with the highly stylized waka form that defined aristocratic communication.