Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Murasaki Shikibu, Genji at Suma, and Genji at Akashi (Murasaki Shikibu, Suma, Akashi zu)
Tosa Mitsunari Japanese
Not on view
The origin myth of how Murasaki Shikibu composed the tale says that she began with Chapters 12 and 13, “Exile to Suma” and “The Lady at Akashi,” and here paintings of those chapters flank the central image of the author. The three separate scrolls are presented as sharing the same moon and shoreline, unifying the assemblage and suggesting their emergence from the author’s imagination. In the painting on the right, it is the fifteenth day of the eighth month, and from his rustic abode in exile, Genji gazes toward the brilliant moon, which prompts him to remember his loved ones back in the capital viewing the same moon. On the left, Genji sets out on horseback to meet the Akashi Lady, who will be instrumental to his political rise.
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This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
