Chapter 6 - Suetsumuhana- Saffron Flower

Chapter 6 of Genji Monogatari, Suetsumuhana (Saffron Flower), introduces the eccentric princess of the same name, distinguished in the text by her prominent red nose — an unusual physical detail that becomes a source of subtle comedy throughout the chapter. Suetsumuhana is characterized as a woman of impeccable aristocratic lineage but extreme social awkwardness and outdated tastes, her clothing unfashionably old-style, her manner of correspondence archaic. The saffron flower (beni-hana, used to produce red dye) gives the chapter its title through an association with the redness of her nose, established in verse exchange with Genji. Gekko's treatment of this subject required delicacy: the figure needed to convey aristocratic grace while encoding the detail of the red nose without caricature. The composition likely shows a woman in full Heian court dress, perhaps partially obscured by a reed curtain or screen, with the old-fashioned apartment furnishings and autumn or winter seasonal elements noted in the text. The print's color scheme would contrast the formally layered robes against a modest interior, avoiding the luminous garden settings that characterize more celebratory chapters.