The Battle of Ichinotani [right of a pair of Scenes from The Tale of the Heike] c. mid 17th century

This screen, by an artist of the Tosa School, uses mineral pigments and gold leaf on paper to depict "The Battle of Ichinotani." It’s one of a pair illustrating episodes from *The Tale of the Heike*, an epic account of a 12th-century civil war. The vivid colors and gold leaf would have been produced through careful, highly skilled processes of grinding, mixing, and application. The burnished gold brings a sense of opulence, fitting for a screen that would have been commissioned by a wealthy patron. Its reflective surface would have animated the scene with changing light. The Tosa School specialized in paintings for the Japanese court, maintaining a classical style. Yet the screens also functioned as luxury goods, their material value a testament to the patron’s status, and a considerable investment of labor. So, next time you see a work like this, remember to consider not just the image, but also the ways in which its materials and making contribute to its meaning. The story is in the surface.