What do the cult 80s manga Asakiyume Mishi have in common with a sublime 18th century lacquer box that belonged to Marie-Antoinette? At first glance, not much. However, each is freely inspired by The Tale of Genji, a major work of classical Japanese literature written by a woman in the 11th century and whose popularity has never waned across Asia.

For a thousand years, this founding story considered the first psychological novel in History with its stereotypical characters - the scorned wife, the jealous husband or the unrepentant seducer - has nourished an extremely rich iconography attested here by countless works of art and precious objects. This journey through the centuries centers around a monumental piece by the master weaver Itarô Yamaguchi and its four exceptional rolls brought together for the first time and unrolled in their entirety.

Between lacquerware, prints, fabrics and kimonos, the exhibition thus dwells on the legacy of this masterful work, an incisive and complete critique of the decadent morals of the Heian court. Behind its apparent frivolity, the novel above all depicts universal feelings such as love, greed and lust...