This watercolour shows a famous incident known as ‘Fording the Uji River’, from the Heike Monogatari (‘Tales of the Heike (Taira) clan’). It depicts the race between two warriors and long-time rivals, Kajiwara Kagetoki and Sasaki Takatsuna, to cross the river in February 1184 and reach the enemy forces of the Taira. This episode took place at the height of the wars of 1180-85 between the Taira and Minamoto families. The painting depicts one of the two warriors, probably the victor. He is shown as a mounted samurai, one of the ‘nobility’ of the Kamakura period (1185-1333), fully armed for battle and wearing his armour. This particular heroic race, which Takatsuna won, was an extremely popular theme and has been represented in many forms of Japanese art.

Kajiwara Kagetoki initially fought on the side of the Taira family in the Taira-Minamoto wars. He rescued Minamoto Yoritomo (who went on to become shogun) during a battle and then became his trusted vassal. He fought under Yoritomo's brother Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the destruction of the Taira but later turned against him. Sasaki Takatsuna was related to the Minamoto family. Sasaki joined Yoritomo in 1180 and helped with the destruction of the Taira family at the Battle of Dannoura in April 1185. At this battle all the major members of the Taira family were killed or committed suicide, and Yoritomo declared a military government for Japan.