Umegae　梅枝

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

A pictorial subject based on "A Branch of Plum" Umegae, Chapter 32 of GENJI MONOGATARI 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji). In the chapter, Genji's household is preparing for the coming of age ceremony of the princess who will become Empress Akashi (see *Akashi 明石). On the tenth day of the Second Month Genji holds a competition to determine the incense she will use at court. He gathers scents from several people and calls on Prince Hotaru, Hotaru Hyoubukyou 蛍兵部卿 to judge them. The scene most frequently chosen for illustration shows Genji and Prince Hotaru looking at two jars sent by Princess Asagao (see *Asagao 朝顔), one indigo with a pine branch, one white with a plum branch from which most of the blossoms have fallen, and to which she has attached a poem. The Crown Prince also has his coming of age ceremony in this chapter. In the Third Month the third daughter of the Minister of the Left (the third in rank of the three main ministers of state, below the Minister of the Right and the Prime Minister) is presented at court, while Princess Akashi is presented in the Fourth Month. At this time Tou no Chuujou 頭中将 (here called the Palace Minister, or Naidaijin 内大臣) begins to reconcile himself to the love between *Yuugiri 夕霧, Genji's son, and his daughter Kumoi no kari 雲井雁.

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*genji-e 源氏絵

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