Ancient ox carriage

The print depicts a gissha, the wheeled ox-drawn carriage used by aristocrats of the Heian court and, in later periods, for ceremonial occasions. These vehicles, also called gosho-guruma when associated with the imperial palace, featured a covered passenger compartment of bamboo and lacquered wood fitted with woven blinds, drawn by a single ox led on foot by an attendant. Sekino's interest in historical and folkloric subject matter ran throughout his career alongside his better-known portrait and landscape work, reflecting the wider [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) concern with rooting modern Japanese identity in indigenous tradition. The composition likely isolates the carriage against an unornamented ground, allowing Sekino to concentrate on the rhythm of the spoked wheels, the curve of the carriage roof, and the textural contrast between the ox's bulk and the refined carpentry of the vehicle. Color is typically restrained in his historical pieces, with [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations registering atmospheric distance from the depicted era.