Illustrating Genji

August 26, 2003 4:17 PM

Illustrating GenjiAn eighteenth-century scroll illustrating the first sixteen chapters of Lady Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji. (In Japanese, anyone? Don't forget to take the photographic tour.) A couple of images from an important twelfth-century scroll are here. UNESCO hosts a full set of seventeenth-century woodblock prints by Harumasa Yamamoto. For the nineteenth century, see a set of color sixteen woodblock prints by Kunisada; and for the twentieth, Shuseki's illustrations of the first eleven chapters. (Those in search of some artistic context should revisit this post by y2karl.)
posted by thomas j wise (14 comments total)

Cool. I read The Tale of Genji in college--I can see my copy from where I'm sitting. I'm looking forward to exploring these links. Thanks!
posted by lobakgo at 4:31 PM on August 26, 2003

thanks! I love Genji--it's weird that it hasn't been made into a miniseries or movie or anime or something
posted by amberglow at 4:40 PM on August 26, 2003

The Tale of Genji.Org

A Brief Genji Character List and Glossary

A Summary of All 54 Chapters

E. G. Seidensticker's 1976 translation of The Tale Of Genji in its entierty. (One big page that takes forever to load)

Plants in Genji Monogatari

Dolls in the Tale of Genji

The Costume Museum - The Rebirth Of The Tale Of Genji

UNESCO - Tale Of Genji Home

Pacific University's Asian Studies Program & Matsushita Center for Electronic Learning Tale of Genji Home Page
posted by y2karl at 4:42 PM on August 26, 2003

I love Genji--it's weird that it hasn't been made into a miniseries or movie or anime or something

Too many characters and too long, I'm thinking.

Oh, I was going to do a Tale of Genji post but thought What the hell?
posted by y2karl at 4:44 PM on August 26, 2003

Ooo, ooo, ooo! Thanks, y2karl, for more good links.
posted by lobakgo at 4:47 PM on August 26, 2003

Oh botheration, I knew I should have checked Genji out of the library this week.
posted by ilsa at 5:16 PM on August 26, 2003

Oh, I was going to do a Tale of Genji post but thought What the hell?

Great minds *cough*

;)

I'm reading the newest translation during my office hours--hence the post.
posted by thomas j wise at 5:23 PM on August 26, 2003

Thank goodness someone posted about this book! I've waded through the first few chapters three or four times, but it is just too much for me. These references should really help out.
posted by pomegranate at 5:33 PM on August 26, 2003

I got the new Tyler translation just after it came out, a beautiful two volume hardcover box set... it's sitting there in the corner gathering dust next to those Proust volumes, maybe I'll just rent the anime.
posted by bobo123 at 5:34 PM on August 26, 2003

I'm reading the newest translation during my office hours--hence the post.

Such an exquisite way to be at play in the fields of labor. Dried black and pale pink hollyhock petals will flutter from your check's faintly incensed envelope when you open it.

The evening sky was serenely beautiful. The flowers below the veranda were withered, the songs of the insects were dying too, and autumn tints were coming over the maples. Looking out upon the scene, which might have been a painting, Ukon thought what a lovely asylum she had found herself. She wanted to avert her eyes at the thought of the house of the "evening faces."
posted by y2karl at 5:54 PM on August 26, 2003

is the new translation very different from the seidensticker? worth getting?
posted by amberglow at 5:58 PM on August 26, 2003

If those damn Minamoto's hadn't taken over and started this trend of moving the capital, we'd be having Kyoto blogger meetups instead of Tokyo. I live at the foot of Hiei-zan in the photo tour pages, at the bottom of the road that goes up to Sanzen-in Jakko-in in Ohara.
posted by planetkyoto at 6:14 PM on August 26, 2003

You know how your mind sometimes transposes things....I saw the first link as "illustrated ganji"... and I thought we were off on a 60's counterculture riff....

Sorry, I return you to your rational and on topic discussion now.

/derail
posted by dejah420 at 6:30 PM on August 26, 2003

Good stuff. Thanks.
posted by plep at 12:42 AM on August 27, 2003