The Tale of Genji
1613
ink
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
The Tale of Genji is a 1613 ink by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
You see a pair of tall gold-leaf screens, each made of six panels. Tiny figures act out quiet moments from an old Japanese novel—an emperor cradling a baby, ladies chatting about seasons, a couple warming hands over a small heater. The screens were probably part of a bride’s trousseau, meant to bring good luck. Artists picked happy scenes from different chapters and stitched them into one shimmering landscape, like a storybook on gold paper. If you like the way the gold glows, look up the Art Institute of Chicago—they have more screens just like this.
