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Japanese Six Panel Screen: Scenes from the Tale of Genji

Veranda scenes through gold leaf clouds and gold dust. Genji on the right and a meeting of the aristocrats on the left, with tennyo (heavenly maiden) flying towards them. (Note the robes of the lady of the house beneath the sudare on the left). The Tale of Genji is sometimes referred to as the world’s first novel. It was written in the 11th century by Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman, in a combination of poetry, prose, and journal-like writing. The book is about a fictional Prince of Genji and his seductions and romances as an aristocrat in Heian era (794 – 1185) Japan.