Two brave heroes battling near the white foot of Mt. Ryozan
This dramatic scene illustrates an episode from chapter 12 of the 12th-century Chinese novel The heroes of the waterfront.
Rinchu was falsely incriminated by a corrupt official whose adopted son coveted his beautiful wife. Rinchu was imprisoned and later sent into exile.
During his exile he escaped and became a fugitive. He sought refuge with a gang of outlaws who lived near Mt. Ryozan. To prove himself worthy of joining the group, he was given three days to vanquish a powerful warrior. On the third day, Rinchu, shown in the centre panel, encountered the warrior Yoshi and challenged him to battle.
The vibrant colour of the costumes is in dramatic contrast to the lyrical sunlit winter landscape.
