The Arts of the Imperial Court | 8th–16th century
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Scene from the "Rites" Chapter of The Tale of Genji, Muromachi period, 16th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 3
July 2, 2024 (Tue) - August 18, 2024 (Sun)After emulating China for generations, the imperial court began to develop its own cultural identity around the 10th century. This movement was led by the court nobility serving the emperor. The body of work they produced — literature, calligraphy, painting, and elegantly decorated items for daily use — became one of Japan’s cultural foundations.
Even after the samurai gained more political power than the court in the 12th century, the court remained the home of high culture for centuries. The different art forms of the court were closely related, with literature playing a central role. Previously the nobility wrote in Chinese, but the creation of a new writing system (kana) helped Japanese literature to flourish. Both noblemen and noblewomen wrote some of Japan’s most celebrated poetry and stories, including by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu. Scenes from literature were also shown in paintings and on furnishings, which the nobility commissioned for their mansions.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Scene from ‟The Shell of the Locust” Chapter of "The Tale of Genji" | Muromachi period, 16th century | A-346-1 | |||||
| Highlight | Scene from the "Rites" Chapter of "The Tale of Genji" | Muromachi period, 16th century | A-346-4 | ||||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | The "Rites" Chapter of "The Tale of Genji" | Kamakura period, 13th century | B-3183-40 | |||
| Highlight | Important Art Object | Part of "Collection of Japanese and Chinese Poems to Sing" in Large Characters | Attributed to Fujiwara no Kōzei (972–1027) | Heian period, 11th century | Gift of Ms. Morita Chikuka, B-2989 | ||
| Highlight | Part of "Collection of Japanese Poems Ancient and Modern" (One of the “Hon'ami Fragments”) | Attributed to Ono no Tōfū (894–966) | Heian period, 11th–12th century | B-2446 | |||
| Part of Volume 2 of "Collection of Poems by Tsurayuki" (One of the "Ishiyama Fragments") | By Fujiwara no Sadanobu (1088–after 1154) | Heian period, 12th century | Gift of Ms. Yanagisawa Keiso, B-3246 |