The Tale of Genji from Princesses to PopMain MenuThe Tale of Genji from Princesses to PopCuratorsExhibition ChecklistExhibition MaterialsThe Genji NarrativeNatalie Shilstut325fde59a599e4cd80c804a3a20deb4fe510c3eaTessa Haasusers/Scalar3d81e0e7b05019314ae3c7fd2f02dd56b71491f2Carrie Robbins615680eb6c62151dd186dbf3ed63a15b0ea341eaAlice McGrathb7aea6f9eb931a0b52c3f000b791e5f42278a98f
In this woodblock print we see the fated moment that Genji’s new wife, the Third Princess, meets Genji’s nephew and intimate companion, Kashiwagi. Chasing her cat, the Princess escapes her screened chambers, where Kashiwagi steals a glance at her beauty and becomes determined to pursue her. Their subsequent affair mirrors Genji’s numerous liaisons, most especially his involvement with his father’s wife, Fujitsubo. Like Fujitsubo, the Princess bears an illegitimate son, who Genji raises as his own. In a short period of time, however, Genji’s world crumbles. His wife and nephew fall ill and die, as does his beloved Murasaki.
12020-03-03T19:23:02+00:00Carrie Robbins615680eb6c62151dd186dbf3ed63a15b0ea341eaNo. 36, Kashiwagi, from the series Lady Murasaki's Genji Cards (Murasaki Shikibu Genji karuta)1plain2020-03-03T19:23:02+00:00Utagawa Kunisada II (1823–1880)Mid–19th centuryS.67.FAGift of Margery Hoffman Smith (Class of 1911)Color woodblock printCarrie Robbins615680eb6c62151dd186dbf3ed63a15b0ea341ea
12020-03-03T19:23:02+00:00Carrie Robbins615680eb6c62151dd186dbf3ed63a15b0ea341eaKashiwagi II1plain2020-03-03T19:23:02+00:00Artist unknownOn loan from Swarthmore CollegeScroll painting, facsimile from Ivan Morris, The Tale of Genji Scroll (Palo Alto: Kodansha International, 1971).Carrie Robbins615680eb6c62151dd186dbf3ed63a15b0ea341ea