Yume no ukihashi　夢浮橋

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

A pictorial subject taken from "The Floating Bridge of Dreams" Yume no ukihashi, Chapter 54 of GENJI MONOGATARI 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji). In the chapter, Kaoru 薫 (the purported son of Genji 源氏 who in truth was sired on Genji's wife by *Kashiwagi 柏木) visits the bishop of Yokawa, Yokawa no Souzu 横川僧都 inquiring after *Ukifune 浮舟 whom he thought was dead (see *Tenarai 手習). Learning that she is still alive he sends her young stepbrother to plead with her to return but she refuses and insists that she has renounced the world. Kaoru never meets her again in the novel and is left wondering if it is all a ruse because she has found another protector. The two scenes most frequently chosen for illustration from this final chapter are: (1) Kaoru visiting the bishop accompanied by Ukifune's young stepbrother; (2) the stepbrother seated on a cushion before a screen attempting to deliver Kaoru's letter to Ukifune through a nun.

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*genji-e 源氏絵.

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