The Third Princess and a Cat - Matsuno Chikanobu

A delicate hanging scroll depicting the Third Princess from The Tale of Genji, rendered in the traditional ukiyo-e style by Matsuno Chikanobu.

This hanging scroll depicts a scene from the New Herbs I (Wakana I) chapter of The Tale of Genji, a classic work of Japanese literature. Matsuno Chikanobu, an artist active during the Edo period, captures the Third Princess, known as Onna San no Miya, in a moment of quiet observation. She is shown with a small cat, a detail that references the narrative turning point where the cat escapes, leading to the discovery of the princess by Kashiwagi.

The composition utilises the vertical format of the scroll to balance the figure of the princess against a gnarled pine tree. The tree, rendered with careful attention to its textured bark and needle clusters, provides a natural frame for the human subject. The princess wears a layered kimono, decorated with motifs that suggest her high status and the aesthetic sensibilities of the period. Her posture is gentle, reflecting the refined manners expected of courtly figures in traditional Japanese art.

Chikanobu employs a muted colour palette, allowing the soft pinks of the kimono and the deep greens of the pine to emerge from the aged silk background. The lines are precise, defining the folds of the fabric and the delicate features of the princess with clarity. The inclusion of a small torii gate near the base of the pine tree adds a layer of symbolic depth, grounding the scene in a specific cultural and religious context. This work reflects the enduring interest in the Genji narrative among artists of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, who often reinterpreted these classical themes through the lens of contemporary ukiyo-e style. The scroll remains a fine example of narrative painting, where literary history and visual artistry converge.