Tale of genji: Legends and Paintings - Tapa blanda

Unquestionably one of the world's greatest literary masterpieces and the finest achievement of classical Japanese prose narrative, the Tale of Genji has provided endless inspiration for Japanese painters through the centuries. Widely held to be the first novel, its story of the amorous adventures of the 'shining prince' Genji and of the elaborate and highly ordered court culture of the Heian era was written by Murasaki Shikibu shortly after AD 1000. Presented here is one of the most exquisite, complete and beautifully preserved sets of illustrations of the tale. The 54 images - each illustrating one chapter - date from the mid-17th century and were executed by an artist trained in the traditional Tosa school of painting. Their small dimensions and lyrical colours call to mind the illuminated manuscripts of medieval Europe. Roofs are entirely removed from houses to reveal small, doll-like figures within. Delicate flowers and plants suggest the seasons of the year. Surrounded by gilded clouds, these graceful paintings shimmer with uncommon beauty and delicacy. Miyeko Murase's introduction examines the paintings in detail, while a commentary opposite each image describes the scene depicted and summarizes the key events from the tale.

Miyeko Murase is Atsumi Professor of Art History Emerita at Columbia University, New York, where she has faught for over thirty years, and research curator in the Department of Asian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Her publications include Bridge of Dreams: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection of Japanese Art and Masterpieces of Japanese Screen Painting: The American Collections.