The Satsuma Rebellion - Known in Japanese as the Seinan Senso or Southwestern War, the Satsuma Rebellion took place in 1877 between disaffected former samurai and Meiji Imperial forces. With the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Meiji restoration of the Emperor in 1867, the samurai class was abolished, leaving this once ruling class unemployed and impoverished. Led by former Imperial Army General Saigo Takamori, samurai from the Satsuma domain in Kagoshima rebelled against the government, leading to a series of battles that ultimately ended in the defeat of the rebels at the Battle of Shiroyama, with Saigo committing seppuku or ritual suicide. Woodblock prints of the conflict were popular, providing accounts of the latest battles to a public eager for news.

Comments - Handsome group portrait of brave warriors from the Shimazu clan, who controlled the Satsuma domain, the area which gave the Satsuma Rebellion its name. In the center, a general sits astride a horse, gripping a tasseled command baton as he looks ahead with a fierce expression. A samurai standing next to him holds a furry black standard while another wearing a helmet with a crescent moon rests an iron club against his shoulder. At right, two heroes sit on folding stools, while at left a warrior sis on a wicker chair wearing a Western style military uniform. Wonderful expressive faces and fine detail in the armor, including touches of burnishing.

Artist - Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Image Size - 14" x 28 1/2" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with good color and detail as shown. Three separate panels. Wormholes, repaired. Wrinkling, creasing, slight toning and soiling. Please see photos for details.