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Important Cultural Property

Scenes from The Tale of Genji

源氏物語絵色紙帖 絵土佐光吉筆 詞後陽成天皇他２１筆
Scenes from The Tale of Genji (源氏物語絵色紙帖 絵土佐光吉筆 詞後陽成天皇他２１筆)
PLATE IImage: Kyoto National Museum, via ColBase — CC BY 4.0
At a glance — Painting · Edo period, 17th century · held by Kyoto National Museum · designated Important Cultural Property of Japan · Tosa Mitsuyoshi.

Fact Sheet

Designation
Important Cultural Property (重要文化財)
Category
Paintings
Date
1601–1700
Creator
Tosa Mitsuyoshi (土佐光吉)
Dimensions
Height25.7cm:Width22.5cm
Catalogue ID
cobas-5760

Find more

This work consists of 54 paintings of scenes from The Tale of Genji (J., Genji monogatari). The chapters from The Paulownia Court (J., Kiritsubo) through The Oak Tree (J., Kashiwagi) bear the artist name Kyûyoku in ink on the back of paperboard, indicating that they were painted by Tosa Mitsuyoshi (1536-1616), while the chapters from The Flute (J., Yokobue) onward were made by an artist of the Tosa school known as Chôjirô. They all are masterpieces among the paintings of Genji monogatari from the Momoyama period (1573-1615). The texts were written out by such nobles as Emperor Goyôzei (1571-1617, r., 1586-1611).

— Museum description: Kyoto National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.

Record & Sources

Cite this page: “Scenes from The Tale of Genji（源氏物語絵色紙帖 絵土佐光吉筆 詞後陽成天皇他２１筆）.” Treasures of Japan, catalogue no. cobas-5760. Kyoto National Museum. https://treasures.yamato-kenkou.com/treasures/scenes-from-the-tale-of-genji/ — entry last verified 1 November 2026.
Full record data (as published in the official catalogue record)
  • Genre: Painting
  • Category: Paintings, sketches, and prints:Japan:Early modern paintings
  • Cultural property designation: Important Cultural Property
  • Size: Height25.7cm:Width22.5cm
  • 員数: 4帖
  • 分類: 絵画
  • 種別: 絵画:日本:近世絵画
  • 法量: 縦25.7cm:横22.5cm

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