Kunisada's Genji Masterpiece: Luxury Ukiyo-e and the World of The Tale of Genji

In the second month of 1858, Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1864) published one of the most visually opulent prints of his career — a diptych from the celebrated series Lasting Impressions of a Late Genji Collection (Genji goshū yojō), depicting a parody of the Third Princess and Kashiwagi from Chapter 50 of The Tale of Genji. ⛩️

The World of Genji in Ukiyo-e

Few works of literature have inspired Japanese art as profoundly as The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari), written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century. By the Edo period, Genji imagery had become a cornerstone of ukiyo-e culture — and no artist explored this world more prolifically than Kunisada.

Through his illustrations of A Fraudulent Murasaki's Rustic Genji, single-sheet prints, triptychs, and diptychs, Kunisada produced more Genji-themed prints than any other ukiyo-e artist in history. This diptych is the thirty-seventh in a group of thirty-eight from the Genji goshū yojō series, published between 1857 and 1861.

A Print of Extraordinary Luxury

What sets this series apart is its exceptional production quality. Printed on thick, luxurious paper, each image employs a range of advanced techniques rarely seen outside of privately commissioned surimono prints:

• Blind printing (karazuri) — creating subtle embossed textures without ink
• Textile-weave printing (nunomezuri) — simulating the texture of fine fabric
• Metallic pigments and burnishing (shōmenzuri) — giving surfaces a luminous, polished sheen

The result is a print that feels as much like a luxury object as a work of art — a fitting tribute to the refined world of Heian court culture that Genji inhabits. 🎴

About the Artist

Utagawa Kunisada, later known as the third-generation Utagawa Toyokuni, was the dominant figure of 19th-century ukiyo-e. His Genji series represent the pinnacle of his late career — works of extraordinary ambition, technical mastery, and visual splendor.

A Living Tradition

At Atelier UKIYO, we are dedicated to bringing the full richness of Edo-period art into the present. Sourced from public domain works held in the collections of the world's great museums, our prints honor the craftsmanship and vision of the masters who created them.

Utagawa Kunisada | Woodblock print diptych, ink and color on paper | 1858 | Edo period (1615–1868)