The Heian period is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185 and is considered Japan’s “Golden Age.” The period was characterized by the flourishing culture of the court aristocracy, which actively engaged in the pursuit of aesthetic refinement, leading to new developments in art and literature.

It was during this time that Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji – the world’s first novel – that delivers the tale of the aristocratic society of Heian period Japan. Almost a century later, Liza Dalby, the first Western woman to be trained as a geisha, wrote The Tale of Murasaki about Murasaki Shikibu and her life in Japan’s golden age of high aesthetics, sexual politics, and literary brilliance.

The emphasis placed on dress in Japanese culture is vividly described in both novels. The elaborate descriptions of wardrobes and their wearers that are prevalent throughout Japanese literature have inspired Higgins to create equally thoughtful and detailed depictions of these moments in history.