Sumiyoshi

The Tale of Genji, written in about AD 1000 by Murasaki Shikubu, is one of the great works of Japanese literature. Set in the courtly world of Heian society (794-1185), it tells the tale of Genji ("the shining prince") and his son and grandsons.

This two-volume album, executed in the Japanese painting style known as yamato-e, is characterized by cut-off roofs and bird's-eye views into schematized architectural interiors; cloud bands that define spatial recession; and native Japanese subject matter. The Chinese technique of line drawing (baimaio) codified in the 11th century is utilized here in a uniquely Japanese interpretation known as hakubyo, where pale additions of color enhance the abstract patterns of black created, for example, by the flat areas of black ink defining the women's hair and the screens and fences of the buildings. The overall impression is one of refined detail and patterned abstraction in line.