Triptych: Ushiwaka (Minamoto Yoshitsune) Battling Tengu (Mitate setsu-getsu-ka no uchi kurama zuki) Possibly 1883

Editor: This is "Triptych: Ushiwaka (Minamoto Yoshitsune) Battling Tengu" by Toyohara Kunichika, from the Harvard Art Museums. What strikes me is the dramatic tension – it feels like a Kabuki scene frozen in time. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see a vibrant clash of worlds – mortal versus mythical. The artist captures the youthful Yoshitsune's cunning and bravery against the supernatural Tengu, those mountain goblins. Notice how the moon in the background casts an eerie glow, heightening the sense of otherworldly conflict. Almost like a dream. Editor: So it is a snapshot of a story? Curator: Exactly, Kunichika was masterfully weaving narrative and theatricality. It is a window into Japanese folklore and artistic tradition all at once. Editor: I never thought about Japanese folklore, but it makes sense, this has been enlightening. Curator: Absolutely, I will think about this artwork for long time.