Good condition. Triptych, but separated. Description: The restoration of imperial power in 1868 led to the suppression of the samurai class, considered an obstacle to the modernization of Japan. Little by little, their privileges were abolished, their social status was reduced to nothing, which caused a series of riots. One of the most important was the rebellion of the samurai of Satsuma, a seigneurial domain on the island of Kyushu. It was led by the clan leader Saigo Takamori. This rebellion was crushed by the imperial troops in 1877. They were equipped with modern Western weapons against which the warriors could not defend themselves effectively. The samurai were armed with a few rifles but mainly with sabers and naginata (curved blade spear) as shown in the print. "The Last Samurai" The defeat of the rebels in Kagoshima marks the end of the samurai class. They will only keep a few very symbolic distinctions. The Satsuma rebels, considered true heroes, are depicted from their defeat in many epic prints with detailed and delicate drawings. The print represents the rebels before their final retreat to Kagoshima. Their leader, Saigô Takamori, is in the center on his horse. He is always represented in the uniform of an officer of the imperial army who led it to victory against the shogun's troops. He was, in fact, one of the architects of the restoration of imperial power in 1868 in place of the Tokugawa shoguns. He then took the lead of the clans in rebellion against the policy of modernizing the country and opening up to foreigners led by Emperor Meiji after his accession to power. He lost the battle and died a hero in Kagoshima. He was later nicknamed "the last samurai". Author: Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延, 1838–1912), better known to his contemporaries as Yōshū Chikanobu (楊洲周延), was a Japanese painter and printmaker who was widely regarded as a prolific woodblock artist during the Meiji epoch.