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Secondary sourcePainting10th century (uncertain)

Murasaki Shikibu in Jūnihitoe Robes

Unknown · 10th century (uncertain)

An anonymous painting imagined to show Murasaki Shikibu in traditional layered court robes, though its date is uncertain and likely later than her lifetime.

This imagined portrait depicts Murasaki Shikibu, though no true likeness of her survives from her own lifetime.

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Painting of a woman with long black hair in layered multicolored silk robes with patterned sleeves, green and yellow stripes, red hakama, and blue-and-white patterned trains spread on the floor, holding a fan. Pale background.
Murasaki Shikibu in junihitoe robes, anonymous painting, date uncertain.

About this source

What it is

This anonymous painting shows a woman identified as Murasaki Shikibu, wearing the layered silk robes known as jūnihitoe, typical of Heian court dress. The date suggested for the painting is uncertain, and it was likely made well after her lifetime.

Why it matters

Murasaki Shikibu lived around the turn of the 11th century, but almost nothing is known for certain about her appearance. Images like this one were created later to imagine her, showing how people remembered and honored her as a writer even without a real portrait.

Look closer

  • Since no contemporary portrait of Murasaki Shikibu survives, what might this painting tell us about how later generations imagined her?
  • What do the robes and fan suggest about her social status?
  • Why might it matter that we cannot be sure this image truly resembles her?

This painting 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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