March 21, 2008

Contact:
Ann Claycombe, 404-413-5047
Media Office
College of Arts and Sciences

Textile expert visits Georgia State to discuss the world’s oldest novel

The Tale of Genji is the world’s oldest novel, a story of intrigue and romance at the court of the emperor in medieval Japan. The elaborate rules and rituals of the court are a key part of the story, but one that is often mystifying to modern readers.

Sachio Yoshioka, a fifth-generation dyer from Kyoto, will provide a guide to the manners and fashions in the Tale of Genji in an April 5 lecture at Georgia State. Yoshioka has devoted his professional life to researching and re-creating ceremonial clothing and other ritual textiles. He has written numerous books on the subject and given lectures around the world on the subject of Japanese art, texture and culture.

Yoshioka will discuss in detail the color and design of the layered ceremonial robes worn by the court ladies of the Heian Period (794-1185). The notion of feminine beauty at court was inseparable from this elaborate, layered style. In fact, because it was rude to refer to others by name, women were often identified by the color of their dress.

The lecture will trace the rituals through time to the present-day imperial family. Yoshioka will also explain his methods – and those of his medieval predecessors - for extracting dyes from plants and insects.

The Tale of Genji Milennium Lecture is scheduled for Saturday, April 5 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Speakers Auditorium of the Student Center at Georgia State. A reception will follow. The event is sponsored by the Asian Studies Center, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Georgia State University Research Foundation, as well as the Consulate General of Japan, Atlanta and the Japanese-American Society of Georgia.