Genji Yamato-e kagami 源氏大和絵鑑

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Commentary by Suzuki Jun

Posted June 2, 2017

Original unedited text in Japanese follows

The preface of Hishikawa Moronobu’s Genji Yamato-e kagami (Mirror of Genji in a Yamato-e style) explains the intent of this illustrated book:

It is difficult to distinguish between the [various] conventional illustrations done by artists for theGenji monogatari (Tale of Genji). Thus, I have added new explanatory text for the illustration of each chapter, included chapter-title poems by the emperor as a headnote, and titled the book Genji ekagami (A Genji pictorial mirror).

Each half-folio (sheet) illustrates a scene from a chapter of the early eleventh-century Genji monogatari (源氏物語) within a circular cartouche; each double-page opening depicts two chapters. [1] Waka poetry or chapter summaries in the upper register accompany the pictures: together text and image are presented as a Genji picture-book for beginners.

The beginning of the first chapter “Kiritsubo” 桐壺(The paulownia pavilion) notes that the “Retired Emperor Go-Kōmyō composed the nagauta poems that include the titles of the chapters from Genji monogatari.” [2] The illustrations for the chapters “Kiritsubo” to “Makibashira” 真木柱巻(The handsome pillar) (ch. 1–31 in the original tale) follow this template with poetry by Emperor Go-Kōmyō 後光明(1633–1654) written in an irregular calligraphic hand. The chapters “Umegae” 梅枝(The plum tree branch) to the “Kōbai” 紅梅(Red plum blossoms) (ch. 32–43 in the original tale) provide brief summaries. Moronobu’s illustrations follow established pictorial conventions for Genji imagery, and as a result would not have afforded him the opportunity to convey his own approach to the subject.In fact, they closely resemble other woodblock-printed illustrated books popular at this time such as the Genji monogatari (Yamamoto Shunshō 山本春正; 1610–1682) and Genji kokagami 源氏小鏡(A small Genji mirror; 1657).

The Pulverer copy is missing select folios, and the book is printed entirely in black sumi ink. The artist’s signature is recorded on the final page as Yamato-eshi Hishikawa uji Moronobu hitsu 大和絵師菱河氏師宣筆(Brush of the Yamato-e master Hishikawa Moronobu). The description of the artist as a “great Yamato-e master” links him to the longer history of “Japanese-style” painters.

書名源氏大和絵鑑

執筆者鈴木淳

菱川師宣の源氏物語絵本。合冊。乱丁あり。墨摺。絵師署名「大和絵師菱河氏師宣筆」。序に「源氏物語の絵とて画師のかけるを見れ共、分明に見わけかたけれは、その巻々の絵ことはりを書加へ、并御製の短歌を頭書にして源氏絵鑑と名付」（源氏物語の絵として伝統的な絵師の描いたものを見ても、分明には見分けることができないので、新たに巻々の絵ごとに説明を加え、天皇の巻名歌を頭書きにして「源氏絵鑑」と名付けて）とある。旧来の絵師による源氏絵のわかりにくさを補うために、半丁ごとに各巻の源氏絵を円型の中に描き、その上部に和歌また梗概を記したもので、初心者向けの源氏絵集というべきものである。[1] また冒頭の桐壺巻に「源氏ものかたりのもくろくをなか歌にして後光明院御製」（源氏物語の巻々の名称を詠み入れた長歌　後光明院御製）とあるように、桐壺以降真木柱巻までは、御光明天皇の巻名を詠み入れた長歌 [2]を散らし書きにして添えるが、梅枝巻より紅梅巻までは各巻々の梗概をごく簡略にまとめて記す。源氏絵の絵柄は伝統的なそれを踏襲し、特に当時流通していた山本春正編・画の絵入り『源氏物語』や板本『源氏小鏡』などの絵入り板本のそれに近似しており、師宣のオリジナリティは感じられない。

Selected readings:

Kenneth B. Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese Books in the British Library Printed Before 1700 (London: The British Library; Tenri: Tenri Central Library, 1993).

Nakano Kōichi中野幸一, ed.,Shibun ama no saezuri. Genji Yamato ekagami. Ehon kusa Genji. Ehon fuji no yukari 『紫文蜑之囀・源氏大和絵鑑・絵本草源氏・絵本藤の縁』, Kuyō Bunko zō Genji monogatari kyōju shiryō eiin sōsho『九曜文庫蔵源氏物語享受資料影印叢書』12 (Tokyo: Bensei Shuppan, 2009).

Copies in other collections:

Tōyō Bunko, Tokyo

Waseda University Central Library, Tokyo

[1] Although the Tale of Genji has fifty-four chapters, this volume only illustrates fifty-three.
[2] The nagauta, or “long song,” cited here refers to the classical tanka poetic form (five lines and thirty-one syllables).

Genji Yamatoe kagami