Scenes from the Tales of Ise

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image depicts a pair of folding screens with a gold background, divided into multiple panels. The top screen has eight panels, and the bottom screen has seven panels. The gold background is adorned with various circular designs along the edges of each panel. The scenes on the screens feature a mix of buildings, trees, and people. The buildings are predominantly Japanese-style, with tiled roofs and wooden structures. Some scenes show people engaging in activities such as riding horses, walking, or interacting with one another. On the top screen, there are depictions of people on horseback, some holding umbrellas, and others near buildings. A bridge connects two landmasses in the center of the top screen. The bottom screen features a boat on water, with people on board, and a building with a pagoda-style roof. The overall composition of the screens suggests that they are illustrating scenes from "The Tales of Ise" by an unknown artist.