Ask the Scholar

Page 1 of 1
I can add historical knowledge about this page.

Page image

Page 1

Document source description

This album contains illustrations for the classic literary work the <em>Tale of Genji,</em> authored in the 1000s by Murasaki Shikibu, an aristocrat of the Heian period (794–1185) court. The scenes are painted in the “white drawing” (<em>hakubyō</em>) mode, in which a fine ink line is used to depict figures and spaces with great subtlety, punctuated only occasionally by traces of red pigment for a character’s lips, a detail of a garment, or a decorative element. These two scenes illustrate episodes from the chapters “Thin Veil of Cloud” (Usugumo) and “Barrier Gate” (Sekiya).

Page data

Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
23318e93a6b02c5c
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
448043
Core
obj
Type
object
DTO data
{
    "id": "448043",
    "contentType": "object",
    "title": "Fireflies from Album of Illustrations for the Tale of Genji",
    "description": "This album contains illustrations for the classic literary work the <em>Tale of Genji,</em> authored in the 1000s by Murasaki Shikibu, an aristocrat of the Heian period (794–1185) court. The scenes are painted in the “white drawing” (<em>hakubyō</em>) mode, in which a fine ink line is used to depict figures and spaces with great subtlety, punctuated only occasionally by traces of red pigment for a character’s lips, a detail of a garment, or a decorative element. These two scenes illustrate episodes from the chapters “Thin Veil of Cloud” (Usugumo) and “Barrier Gate” (Sekiya).",
    "date": "1600s",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1961.202.l",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q117247005"
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Bound Volume"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1961.202.l/1961.202.l_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1961.202.l/1961.202.l_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1961.202.l/1961.202.l_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Each leaf: 26.3 x 22 cm (10 3/8 x 8 11/16 in.); Painting only: 17 x 20.6 cm (6 11/16 x 8 1/8 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)"
    ],
    "accession": "1961.202.l"
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "448043",
    "label": "Fireflies from Album of Illustrations for the Tale of Genji",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "object"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "448043",
    "contentType": "object",
    "title": "Fireflies from Album of Illustrations for the Tale of Genji",
    "description": "This album contains illustrations for the classic literary work the <em>Tale of Genji,</em> authored in the 1000s by Murasaki Shikibu, an aristocrat of the Heian period (794–1185) court. The scenes are painted in the “white drawing” (<em>hakubyō</em>) mode, in which a fine ink line is used to depict figures and spaces with great subtlety, punctuated only occasionally by traces of red pigment for a character’s lips, a detail of a garment, or a decorative element. These two scenes illustrate episodes from the chapters “Thin Veil of Cloud” (Usugumo) and “Barrier Gate” (Sekiya).",
    "date": "1600s",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1961.202.l",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q117247005"
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Bound Volume"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1961.202.l/1961.202.l_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1961.202.l/1961.202.l_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1961.202.l/1961.202.l_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Each leaf: 26.3 x 22 cm (10 3/8 x 8 11/16 in.); Painting only: 17 x 20.6 cm (6 11/16 x 8 1/8 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)"
    ],
    "accession": "1961.202.l"
}
Document source extras
{
    "tec": "painting in an accordion-style album; ink, light color, and gold on paper",
    "tombstone": "Fireflies from Album of Illustrations for the Tale of Genji (源氏絵画帖 螢), 1600s. Japan, Edo period (1615–1868). Painting in an accordion-style album; ink, light color, and gold on paper; each leaf: 26.3 x 22 cm (10 3/8 x 8 11/16 in.); painting only: 17 x 20.6 cm (6 11/16 x 8 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Vera Sterne in memory of her husband, Maurice Sterne, 1961.202.l",
    "titleInOriginalLanguage": "源氏絵画帖 螢",
    "collection": "Japanese Art",
    "didYouKnow": "The illustrations are identified by chapter title in cartouches to the upper right of the paintings.",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1961.202.l",
    "creditline": "Gift of Vera Sterne in memory of her husband, Maurice Sterne",
    "updatedAt": "2026-05-29 09:03:20.270000",
    "imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1961.202.l/1961.202.l_print.jpg",
    "sourceId": 448043,
    "dept": "Japanese Art",
    "coll": "Japanese Art",
    "med": "painting in an accordion-style album; ink, light color, and gold on paper",
    "thumbnail_url": null,
    "image_url": null
}
Page context
{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1961.202.l/1961.202.l_web.jpg",
    "mediaId": "23318e93a6b02c5c"
}