Minneapolis Institute of Art

Butterflies Dancing Episode [left of the pair Episodes from the Butterflies Chapter of the Tale of Genji]

Tosa Mitsusada

Date

late 18th century

Medium

Six-panel folding screen, one of a pair, ink, color, and gold on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This screen, along with its mate, illustrates an episode from “Butterflies, ” chapter 24 of The Tale of Genji, in which Genji organizes springtime festivities in the garden of Murasaki, his favorite consort. The other screen shows the noblewomen with their multilayered robes enjoying the garden from exotic pleasure boats with phoenix and dragonhead prows. This screen pictures the following morning, when Murasaki dresses several of her young attendants as birds and butterflies and has them dance for the empress. Japan, Asia

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