The Hahakigi Chapter from "The Tale of Genji" (Genji Hahakigi), from a series of Genji parodies
c. 1710
Medium
Woodblock print; oban, sumizuri-e
Dimensions
27.3 × 38.2 cm (10 3/4 × 15 1/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19550
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with *The Hahakigi Chapter from "The Tale of Genji" (Genji Hahakigi)*, a delightful woodblock print by Okura Masanobu, around 1710. Masanobu (1686–1764), a pioneering ukiyo artist, was renowned for his innovative parodies that playfully reimagined classical tales like Murasaki Shikibu's11th-century *The Tale of Genji—often called the world's first novel—in the bustling, contemporary life of Edo (modern Tokyo). This print draws from the "Hahakigi" (Chopping Board) chapter, where lovers discuss romance in a hut, but Masanobu twists it into a humoro...
About the Artist
Okumura Masanobu · 1686–1764
Japanese, 1686–1764