Kagoshima shizoku Kumamoto-jo senso no zu

A triptych print depicting Kagoshima samurai at the Battle of Kumamoto Castle during the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 — one of the defining military confrontations of the Meiji era, when former samurai loyal to the Satsuma domain laid siege to the castle held by government forces. The castle withstood the siege, a fact that proved decisive in breaking the rebellion's momentum, and Chikanobu's documentary image captures the violence and drama of the conflict. The triple-panel format allowed for the panoramic battle compositions that characterized the best Meiji war-print triptychs.