Wakamurasaki　若紫

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Lit. young lavender. A pictorial subject based on the "Lavender" Wakamurasaki, Chapter 5 of GENJI MONOGATARI 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji). In this chapter, Genji goes to the northern hills to have prayers said for his recovery from a long debilitating illness and chances upon a learned prelate souzu 僧都. While at the mountain temple, he peeps through a wattle fence and sees a young girl (Murasaki no Ue 紫の上) crying over her pet baby sparrows that have gotten loose. The girl's features resemble Fujitsubo 藤壷, consort of his father, the emperor, with whom Genji had fallen in love and had a brief secret affair (see *Kiritsubo 桐壷) and whose niece the girl turns out to be. Half a year later Genji finally abducts Murasaki to raise her himself. Genji's discovery of Murasaki, who will become the most important love in his life, is the most frequently illustrated scene. Other scenes include Genji talking to the nurse about Murasaki, who is listening to them behind screens, and a recovered Genji playing the koto 琴 under cherry trees at a leave-taking with the prelate. An illustration of this scene, although heavily repainted, from the early 12c scroll of The Tale of Genji Genji monogatari emaki 源氏物語絵巻 (Tokyo National Museum) was discovered in 1977.

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*genji-e 源氏絵

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