A high-ranking samurai sits fully armed, his armour carrying a carefully repeated dragon motif that runs throughout the composition. At the centre is an imposing Yukinoshita-dō, its surface worked with embossed dragons, turning what was fundamentally a practical form of cuirass into something intended to express both status and authority. The theme continues across the armour. Dragons also appear on the fukigaeshi of the kabuto, creating a deliberate visual connection between the helmet, cuirass without overwhelming the figure. Behind him, the dragon leaves the armour and enters the wider composition. A painted screen depicts a storm dragon emerging through swirling cloud and darkness, its movement contrasting with the stillness of the seated warrior. The background is deliberately subdued, almost disappearing into shadow, so that the suggestion of the dragon is felt before it is fully seen. The result is a portrait concerned as much with rank and symbolism as armour. The dragon, associated with power, authority and the forces of nature, appears repeatedly but never dominates. Instead, it binds the image together, moving from lacquer and metal into the painted storm behind the samurai.Semi-gloss Poster Paper 200 gsm
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