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Noh libretto box with scene from Tale of Genji

Noh libretto box with scene from Tale of Genji
(18th century-19th century)

Medium
lacquer on wood
Measurements
20.0 × 40.0 × 30.0 cm
Place/s of Execution
Japan
Accession Number
2021.532
Department
Asian Art
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Baillieu Myer AC and Mrs Sarah Myer, 2021
Gallery location
Special Exhibitions Gallery
Ground Level, NGV International
About this work

This elaborately decorated box is testament to the refined tastes and sophisticated ambience associated with Noh theatre. Intended for the storage of libretti (vocal scores), musical scores and instructions for dance postures, it displays a scene from Murasaki Shikibu’s eleventh-century literary work The Tale of Genji.