Japanese 6-panel screen Genji Monogatari 17/18th century

A major work of Japanese literature from the Heian period (11th century), *The Tale of Genji* (*Genji Monogatari*) is a novel attributed to Murasaki Shikibu.
It chronicles the life of Prince Genji—a man of great beauty who was both a poet and a charmer.
With an incisive and critical eye, Murasaki Shikibu depicts—in great detail and over the course of more than a decade—the mores of the imperial court: the art of seduction, cuckolded husbands, and spurned courtesans.
The scenes unfold across different seasons: cherry trees are in bloom on the left-hand panels, while the maples have already turned red for autumn. The screen portrays Genji in various settings, surrounded by courtesans and other notables as they watch dances or, in all likelihood, listen to poetry.