A series of beautiful Japanese wood cut prints depicting winter in Japan. Created in the 1850s by three artists: Hiroshige; Kunisada I; and Kunisada II. All apart from one depict scenes from the Tale of Genji, an 11th-century portrait of life in the medieval Japanese court by Lady Murasaki Shikibu.
Murasaki was the daughter of a provincial governor, and belonged to the second rank of the court aristocracy. Her work has been described as the world's first novel, but was actually written in instalments. The novel comprises of 54 chapters which describe the life of a son of a Japanese emperor, known as Hikaru Genji, or Shining Genji. For political reasons, Genji loses his royal status and begins a career as an imperial officer. The tale focuses on his relationships with various women and life in the aristocratic society of the time. The enduring popularity of this classic led to the production of many adaptations during the Edo period.
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