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Primary sourceBook

A Wreath of Cloud

Lady Murasaki

The cover of the third volume of Murasaki Shikibu's novel The Tale of Genji.

This volume preserves part of Murasaki Shikibu's authorship of The Tale of Genji.

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Book cover or endpaper of tan paper with a repeating pattern of blue-grey outlined diamonds and circular medallions containing fan-shaped and crescent-like floral motifs. A dark blue strip runs along the left edge.
Lady Murasaki, A Wreath of Cloud (Volume 3 of The Tale of Genji).

About this source

What it is

This is the cover or endpaper of a volume titled A Wreath of Cloud, the third part of The Tale of Genji, written by Lady Murasaki. The design features a repeating pattern of diamonds and floral medallions.

Why it matters

The Tale of Genji is widely regarded as a landmark of world literature, and this volume represents one part of the larger work that Murasaki Shikibu is credited with writing at the Japanese imperial court. The decorative cover reflects the care taken in presenting her novel to readers.

Look closer

  • What might the patterned design tell us about the book's intended audience or era?
  • Why do publishers choose particular designs for classic works?
  • How does a book's physical appearance shape how readers approach its content?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Murasaki Shikibu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Fragment of a decorated handscroll page with black calligraphic Japanese script running in vertical columns on gold-flecked paper with dark green and gold scattered patches and faint grass-like brushstrokes. A printed caption in the lower right reads in Japanese.Book

Primary source

The Tale of Genji

Murasaki Shikibu · c. 1010

Open double-page spread of a Japanese manuscript with gold and silver flecks scattered on brown-orange and dark mauve paper. Black cursive kana calligraphy runs in vertical columns on both pages.Book

Primary source

Kokin Wakashū

Ki no Tsurayuki and compilers · c. 905-920

Diary entry

Primary source

The Diary of Lady Murasaki

Murasaki Shikibu · c. 1008–1010

Scan of a page of handwritten Japanese cursive calligraphy in brown ink on pale paper, written in vertical columns. This is the final part of the Tosa Nikki diary, copied by Fujiwara no Teika in the 13th century.Diary entry

Primary source

Tosa Nikki

Ki no Tsurayuki · 935 (copy 13th century)

Photograph of the front cover of a Japanese book bound in pale green-grey paper. A vertical cream label on the cover bears brush-written Japanese characters and a small seal-like stamp appears at lower left. A color calibration chart and a metric ruler are along the edges of the image.Book

Secondary source

Eiri Genji Monogatari

Yamamoto Shunshō · 1650

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