Folding screen, Japan early 18th century

An important Japanese Yamato-e six-fold screen, depicting episodes from The Tale of The Genji, Sumiyoshi school, Edo period, late 17th/early 18th century

Ink, mineral pigments, gofun ond gold on paper, wood inner structure and lacquered frame.
H. 168 x W. 370 cm

The Tale of Genji was a popular subject for narrative illustration throughout the history of Japanese painting. Written around the year 1000 by a court lady known as Lady Murasaki, the novel traces the life and loves of the incomparable Prince Genji, and two generations of his descendants, in a highly evocative literary style.
The right side of the screen represents "The Morning Glory" Asagao, Chapter 20 of GENJI MONOGATARI (The Tale of Genji). Asagao literally means "morning face," and seems to have been applied originally to a number of morning-blooming flowers, not just the morning glory. It is also the sobriquet given in this chapter to one of Genji's cousins, whom Genji unsuccessfully pursued for years.
The scene most popularly depicted comes from the end of the chapter, when Genji and Murasaki are looking out from the veranda at a group of young girls who play around an enormous snowball in the garden.
The left part of the screnn is possibly based on Chapter 49, Yadorigi, The Ivy, where Prince Niou is performing for Naka no Kimi.

The Sumiyoshi school is a school of painting that specialized in the yamato-e style. The Sumiyoshi school worked primarily for the shogunate in Edo. In addition to their work as painters, members of the school were active as connoisseurs of early Japanese painting and calligraphy. The school was founded in 1662, when Emperor Gosai (1637-1685) ordered Tosa Hiromichi (1561-1633), a Tosa school disciple, to adopt the name Sumiyoshi (probably in reference to a 13th century painter Sumiyoshi Keinin). Gukei followed in his father's footsteps, working for the shogunate as an official painter. In 1682, Gukei secured the future of the school when he was appointed oku -eshi, a title signifying his high rank among the official painters. Gukei produced many fine works in the yamato-e style, such as scrolls illustrating the classic Tale of Genji GENJI MONOGATARI but he was also known as a talented painter of genre scenes, such as the screens of the Scenes In and Around Kyoto Rakuchuu rakugai-zu. Gukei's successors are best known as influential connoisseurs of early Japanese painting and calligraphy.
An album page by Sumiyoshi Gukei in the collection of The Art Gallery NSW in Australia represents the Asagao scene with figures in the same position as on this screen. On the larger screen, characters are added.