Scenes from the Tale of Genji on Silver Ground left of a pair, 18th century, Unknown Japanese, 62 × 141 1/2 in. (157.48 × 359.41 cm) (image)68 1/8 × 147 3/4 × 3/4 in. (173.04 × 375.29 × 1.91 cm) (mount), Ink and color on silver leafed paper, Japan, 18th century, While many Japanese artists featured heavy use of gold paint and gold leaf on folding screens, the artist of this pair used silver leaf instead. Over time, silver leaf oxidizes and turns a smoky gray shade but retains its metallic sheen. The screens present a selection of scenes from The Tale of Genji in no particular order. The upper middle of the left screen, for example, shows 12-year-old Genji at his coming-of-age ceremony. The courtiers cap he will wear as an adult male rests on a low table before him. The scenes around him and in the right screen are from varying stages of his life.