This pair of Japanese ornamental screens illustrates one of the best-known works of literature in Japanese history, The Tale of Genji, about the adventures, romantic and otherwise, of Prince Genji. The text is in six sections, but the screens depict only the first section, which is the story of Genji proper. This part of the tale primarily follows the prince's love affairs, but it also provides a powerful view of Japanese court life.

Excerpt from

Anne Bromberg, Label text, 2018.

• The Tale of Genji was written by Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman, poet, and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period.

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