About This Print
In this scene from chapter 20, Asagao, it is winter in Genji’s thirty-second year and girls are playing in the snow-covered garden of Nijō Palace.
Source: Genji gojūshijō 源氏五十四帖, published by Shin Kōbe Shinbunsha, 1974.
Murasaki-no-Uye is jealous over Genji’s love for Asagao, a Superintendent Sister of Kamo Shrine, who has vowed to remain a maiden, and has been acting with hostility towards Genji.
One moonlit night, when the snow lay deep on the ground, Prince Genji ordered little girls to build a snow hill in front of his chamber to remind him of when Fujitsubo, his father’s wife, who he had an affair with (bringing her notoriety), would play in her snow-covered garden by ordering snow hills to be built there.
For an excellent introduction to The Tale of Genji see Penguin's "Short Summary of the Tale" at https://www.penguin.com/static/packages/us/taleofgenji/introduction3.php
About The Album
For information about the album please go to Hahakigi (chapter 2) from the album Illustrations for Genji monogatari in Fifty-Four Wood-Cut Prints on this site.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #2549 |
| Title or Description |  seen translated as The Morning Glory; The Bluebell, Bellflowers |
| Series | Illustrations for Genji monogatari in Fifty-Four Wood-Cut Prints 木版画源氏五十四帖 Mokuhanga Genji gojūyonjō |
| Artist | Ebina Masao (1913-1980) |
| Signature | not signed |
| Seal | 正夫 Masao |
| Publication Date | 1953 or after (originally issued 1953; multiple editions are known) |
| Publisher | Yamada Shoin 山田書院 |
| Carver | carving supervised by Yoshio Kawamo [Kawatsura Yoshio 川面義雄 (1880-1963)] |
| Printer | |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | good - overall toning; staining (possibly foxing) in snowball in center of image; glue remnants verso from removal from folder; upper right corner of margin ragged from removal from folder |
| Genre | genji-e |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | ōban |
| H x W Paper | 9 3/8 x 12 7/8 in. (22.1 x 31.3 cm) |
| H x W Image | 8 1/4 x 11 15/16 in. (21 x 30 cm) |
| Collections This Print | Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College 2015.1.21; University of Kansas Libraries KU Bib ID: 4123242 (entire portfolio; images not shown); National Diet Library Call Number 913.36-E17g-K (entire portfolio dated 1958; images not shown) |
| Reference Literature | |
8/15/2021 created
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