Triptych: Battle of Okehazama in BishÅ«, Owari Province (BishÅ« Okehazama kassen) Possibly 1883

Curator: This triptych, printed on an overall scale of 35.3 x 71.7 cm, depicts the Battle of Okehazama in Bishū, Owari Province. The artist is Utagawa Toyonobu. Editor: The rain seems to wash away all clarity. I find it hard to read the composition. Curator: Well, these scenes are meant to convey the chaos of warfare and to reference the very real violence enacted on bodies, especially those deemed marginal. Editor: I'm more interested in the construction of armor. Look at the plates, the joinery, and the way the materials articulate power and status. Curator: But the battle itself speaks to complex political maneuvers of the period, the struggles for dominance playing out across regional identities. Editor: I see skilled hands fashioning tools of destruction. That's the story I'm drawn to. Curator: Perhaps by understanding the historical context, we can engage with the broader narratives of power and resistance. Editor: And by studying the materiality, we can understand the labor invested in shaping a feudal system.