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Secondary sourcePainting1854

Sekigahara Battle Screen

1854

A folding screen painting depicting the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara, the decisive battle at which Musashi reportedly fought as a young warrior.

Depicts the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara, the war in which the young Musashi is said to have fought.

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A six-panel folding screen painting of a large battle scene with many armored samurai, horses, red and white banners, green hills, pine trees, and a tan background with a sun near the top.
Sekigahara Kassen Byōbu, 1854 replica of a 1620s screen by Sadanobu Kanō. Collection of the Town of Sekigahara Archive of History and Cultural Anthropology.

About this source

What it is

This six-panel folding screen shows the Battle of Sekigahara, painted with armored samurai, horses, red and white banners, hills and pine trees. It is an 1854 replica of an earlier screen made in the 1620s by the painter Sadanobu Kanō, which had been a treasure of the Ii lords of Hikone. The replica is not an exact copy and has some differences from the original. It is held by the Town of Sekigahara Archive of History and Cultural Anthropology.

Why it matters

The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 was one of the turning points of Japanese history, deciding the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate. Miyamoto Musashi is said to have taken part in this battle as a young fighter, so the screen illustrates the world of war and shifting loyalties he grew up in, even though he is not shown as an individual figure.

Look closer

  • What details help you tell which side is which in the battle scene?
  • Why might a later generation want to copy an older battle screen rather than let it fade away?
  • What does the screen leave out about the experience of ordinary soldiers?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Musashi Miyamoto on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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