| Lit.
locks of hair/four cornered; "an elaborate three-looped knot, it also designates
a young girl's coiffure" -Seidensticker. A pictorial subject taken from
"Trefoil Knots" Agemaki, Chapter 47 of GENJI MONOGATARI 源氏物語
(The Tale of Genji). Main characters in this chapter include Ooigimi 大君,
who from this point forward also is referred to as "Agemaki," the eldest
daughter of the late Eighth Prince (Hachi no miya 八宮, see *Hashihime
橋姫), her younger sister Naka no kimi 中君, Kaoru 薫 (see *Kashiwagi
柏木), and Prince Niou *Niou
no Miya 匂宮. In the story, Ooigimi attempts to redirect Kaoru's ardor
for her to Naka no kimi. Kaoru in turn encourages an alliance between Naka
no kimi and Prince Niou. Ooigimi's rejection of Kaoru, however, remains
unchanged. Around the same time *Yuugiri
夕霧, Genji's son by *Aoi 葵,
decides to wed his daughter Roku no kimi 六君 to Niou. Overcome by sorrow,
Ooigimi passes away. Scenes commonly chosen for illustration include: dawn
in the ninth month, Niou and Naka no kimi looking over at Uji 宇治 Bridge
as the fire-wood boats shibabune 柴舟 are rowed out; and, the young
women of the princesses' household looking out at Niou on an excursion in
a boat roofed with scarlet leaves on the Uji River around the beginning
of the tenth month. |
