Battle of Okehazama in BishÅ«, Owari Province (BishÅ« Okehazama kassen) c. 1882

Curator: This striking print, held at the Harvard Art Museums, is titled "Battle of Okehazama in BishÅ« Owari Province" by Utagawa Toyonobu. Editor: It feels charged with energy. Look at the dynamic pose of the central figure, the slashing lines implying rain, the scattered weapons. Curator: The central figure, likely a samurai, is depicted amidst the chaos of battle. Consider the layered meaning of the armor, each plate carefully crafted. Editor: Yes, and the labor involved! The forging of the steel, the weaving of the silk cords, the dyes... what a complex production chain for war. Curator: Certainly, and that armor isn’t just protection. It's a potent symbol of status, power, and the enduring legacy of warrior culture. Editor: I'm struck by how the artist uses simple materials—paper, ink, woodblocks—to convey such a visceral scene of conflict and its social consequences. Curator: It reveals how deeply symbolic systems can be interwoven into even the most seemingly straightforward depictions of events. Editor: True, and the means by which those depictions are made deeply informs our understanding.