Akashi, Calligraphic Excerpt from Chapter 13 of the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) c. 1509 - 1510

Editor: Here we have Fushimi no miya Kunitaka shinnō’s calligraphy, an excerpt from the Tale of Genji. The paper has this lovely yellowed tone. What stands out to you about the materiality of this piece? Curator: I'm struck by the interplay between the high literary source and the physical act of creation. The paper itself, its preparation, the ink, and the brushstrokes reveal a social hierarchy. Who had access to these materials? Who was trained in calligraphy? Editor: So, you're saying the materials themselves tell a story about power and access? Curator: Precisely. The labor involved, from papermaking to the calligrapher’s skill, points to a system of production and consumption deeply embedded in the court society of the time. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered before. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure.