Taira no Atsumori on Horseback

This painting depicts Taira no Atsumori, a young samurai of the Taira clan, on horseback during the Genpei War (1180–1185). Atsumori is known for his tragic death at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani (1184) by Kumagai Naozane, a story told in ’The Tale of the Heike’ and the Noh play ’Atsumori.’ The artwork features stylized clouds, typical of late Heian period art, and captures the wild nature of warhorses, reflecting the era’s martial spirit.