Otome　乙女

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

A pictorial subject taken from "The Maiden" Otome, Chapter 21 of GENJI MONOGATARI 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji). *Yuugiri 夕霧, Genji's son by *Aoi 葵, has his coming of age ceremony at the house of his maternal grandmother Oomiya 大宮, where he has been brought up since the death of his mother. After the ceremony he goes to be educated at Genji's Nijou 二条 mansion. During this time, Genji's charge, Saiguu 斎宮, the former high priestess of Ise Jinguu 伊勢神宮, is chosen as empress (see *e-awase 絵合), and becomes known as Empress Akikonomu, Akikonomu Chuuguu 秋好中宮. Tou no Chuujou 頭中将, Genji's life-long friend and rival at court, has a daughter, Kumoi no Kari 雲井雁, who from early childhood has been entrusted to Oomiya, and she was thus a childhood playmate of Yuugiri. The two have fallen in love but since Tou no Chuujou hopes to present Kumoi no Kari at court, he takes her back to his own mansion. At Genji's Nijou residence Yuugiri meanwhile is attracted to the daughter of Koremitsu 惟光, Genji's trusted retainer, who has been chosen for the Gosechi 五節 annual court harvest dances and is practicing there. Later, constructs a new mansion at Rokujou 六条, with a garden dedicated to each of the four seasons, and presented to each of his ladies: the autumn garden to Akikonomu (aki konomu means to like autumn); the spring garden to Murasaki (see *Wakamurasaki 若紫); the summer garden to the Lady of the Orange Blossoms *Hanachirusato 花散里; and the winter garden to the Akashi Lady (see *Akashi 明石). Each woman was thought to favor the season of the garden with which they were associated. Scenes chosen for illustration include Yuugiri tugging at the sleeve of the Gosechi dancer; and Empress Akikonomu sending a young girl with autumn flowers and leaves arranged on the lid of a box to Murasaki's apartments.

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*genji-e 源氏絵

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