A Japanese Tosa School Six-Panel Screen from The Tale of Genji

Edo period (1615-1868), 19th century, ink, gofun, mineral pigments and gold leaf on paper, this six-panel folding scroll byobu likely depicts the chapter 13, the Akashi chapter, where Prince Genji rides a horse through a winter landscape with his attendant following beneath the pines, a lonely weeping willow tree stands next to the sea reflecting loneliness that Genji feels as he travels after being banished from his home, signed 山楽 (Sanraku) together with two red seals.

Frame dimensions 47 x 107 x 1 1/2 in., Each panel 47 x 19 in.

From the Collection of Adrienne and John C. Maxwell, Jr. John C. Maxwell Jr. assembled one of the most distinguished private collections of Asian art in the American South, with a particular focus on Chinese, Korean, and Japanese works spanning antiquity through the late imperial period. A financier and respected market analyst by profession, Maxwell developed his interest in Asian art during his military service in Korea in the early 1950s. What began as personal study evolved into a lifelong commitment to collecting, scholarship, and connoisseurship.

The collection formed by Maxwell and his wife Adrienne reflects Maxwell’s highly analytical eye and preference for works possessing strong historical character, refined craftsmanship, and clear cultural significance. Numerous objects from the collection together with their private library of 1,200 scholarly Asian art journals and books were gifted to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where they became part of the museum’s Maxwell East Asian Collection.

Compare with similar screen Lot 143, May 16, 2024, auctioned at Oriental Art Auctions in the Netherlands.

Good condition; right hand panel with some scattered water spots to right corner; panel next to it with some traces of water drips down the surface and a stable scratch at the bottom edge of the panel; some light dirt to surface; light wear where the panels meet from age and use.

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