The Changing Images of the Third Princess from the Tale of Genji

“New Herbs (Wakana)” from the Tale of Genji; Tosa Mitsuyoshi (1593-1613); album leaf; ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper; Kyoto National Museum

Masako Watanabe
Independent Scholar
March 28, 2019; 6–7PM

807 Schermerhorn Hall

A particular episode from the 34th chapter of the Tale of Genji known as “New Herbs” describes one of the critical moments in the life of Hikaru Genji. The young noble, Kashiwagi, catches a glimpse of Genji’s young wife, the Third Princess. This incident develops into an illicit love affair – Kaoru is born, the Third Princess becomes a nun and Kashiwagi falls ill and dies. The lecture will introduce the transformation of images of the Third Princess by examining pictorial examples from the Edo period.

This lecture is a co-sponsorship with the Japanese Art Society of America (JASA)