Battle Scenes from the Heiji Rebellion

The heroic battles for power that were fought in Japan in the 12th century were a source of inspiration for artists then and much later. Depicted at the upper right is Taira no Kiyomori, who, in the face of an enemy attack puts his helmet on backwards in panic. In reality he probably bravely confronted his foe, but the historiography portrayed him, a member of the losing side, as a cowardly arch-villain.