Cleveland Museum of Art

Scene from the Tale of the Wisteria Robe

Date

1400s

Medium

section of a handscroll mounted as a hanging scroll; ink on paper

Culture

Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The Tale of the Wisteria Robe chronicles the family saga and spiritual wanderings of a noble whose garment has a signature scent. In the complete set of two scrolls, the paintings were preceded by textual passages and included dialogue floating over the characters depicted. This fragment of the story shows several figures engaged in private conversations held in chambers divided by sliding doors. Numerical notations in the text indicate the order in which things are being said. Members of the court, both male and female, are depicted in dress and hairstyles from the earlier Heian period (794–1185).

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