Subject: 侍 samurai warrior
Culture: Japanese
Setting: Edo period, Japan 17th-mid 19thc
Brooklyn Museum > Korea & Japan *
"Kôbun Kikusen (Japanese, b. 1783) Portrait of Sakamoto Ryôma Japan, Meiji period, late 19th century Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk ...
Sakamoto Ryôma (1835-1867) was a lower-class samurai who lived through the turbulent years of Japan's opening to foreign trade and culture. Dressed in formal attire, he holds a long sword at this hip with his left hand and has a short sword tucked in his waist sash. The five-character inscription at the top reads, 'spirit of the hero in dreams.' Ryôma pioneered development of the Japanese navy, and his charismatic leadership led to the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate rulers. He remains a revered and celebrated historical icon in Japan."
