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Description
Two married women and a young girl are shown leaving a gated compound, and the text panel indicates that one is the wife of the warrior Kajiwara Kagesue (1162-1200) who has taken a branch of cherry blossoms. At right is a young messenger boy bringing a poem sheet / tanzaku from the shogun Minamoto Yoritomo (1148-1199), who is seated on the verandah with two ladies in waiting and a sword bearer. Yoritomo leans forward on his arm rest, obviously intent on seeing the response to his note: Having broken off cherry blossoms, leaving none, again this spring what should one look at? Her reply: Not waiting for one’s breath to return in this world, again this spring’s desires. Yoritomo seems to be flirting, but despite the danger of turning him down, she continues on her way and remains faithful to her husband. Kagesue was a Taira warrior but at the Battle of Ishibashi yama he changed to the Genji side, rescuing Yoritomo by lying. Kagesue thus became one of Yoritomo’s close retainers and distinguished himself many times under Yoshitsune’s command, particularly at the Battles of Uji Bridge and Ichi no tani in 1184. When Yoritomo suspected his brother Yoshitsune of trying to gain personal power, Kagesue again showed his allegiance to Yoritomo by turning against his commander Yoshitsune. In the kabuki theater traditiona, Kagesue is often portrayed as an unsavory treacherous character, willing to switch sides for personal gain in political struggles.
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