Battle at the bottom of the sea off Daimotsu Beach by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1847-52)
This is 1/3 of a triptych.
It’s inspired by the famous sea battle at Dan-no-ura during the Genpei War, when clan Minamoto defeated clan Taira.
Once defeat was inevitable many of the losing side committed suicide - in this instance by jumping into the sea - including the child emperor, who was “assisted” overboard by his Taira grandmother.
The spirits of the dead Taira warriors supposedly entered the bodies of crabs, whose shells took on the form of their angry faces.
The Imperial regalia of sword, mirror and jewel, were also lost. Whether those which currently exist are originals or reconstructions isn’t certain, since (like the presumed bones of the Princes in the Tower) historical verification isn’t allowed.
Attacks on Minamoto heroes like Benkei and Yoshitsune by vengeful Taira ghosts - either crabs or spectral samurai - are a popular theme in woodblock art.
They’re illustrations for the sort of story whose characters wilfully go to or accidentally end up in That One Place They Should Have Avoided.
And as a result, Excitement Ensues.
And yes, I have indeed been binging on the new version of “Shogun”.
Why do you ask?
:->
