SIGNED SHIOMI MASANARI, EDO PERIOD (LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY)

In historical reality Taira no Kagekiyo was captured during the Minamoto clan's triumph over the Taira at the battle of Dannoura (1185) and later, in 1196, starved himself to death at the new capital, Kamakura, but a whole body of legend grew up concerning his captivity and his efforts to assassinate the Minamoto leader Yoritomo. At the thirty-seventh attempt, the story goes, he was prevented by Yoritomo's retainer Hatakeyama Shigetada (1164-1205) and went into hiding. After a series of adventures he was saved thanks to the intervention of Kannon, Goddess of Mercy, and awarded a domain by his old enemy. Realising that he must abandon his vendetta, Kagekiyo tore out his eyes so as to avoid witnessing Yoritomo's triumph but his sight was restored to him when he visited the Kiyomizu temple on his way into exile1.

1 Osumi Kazuo et. al. (ed.), Nihon kaku densho jinmei jiten [Dictionary of Imaginary and Traditional Personalities] (Tokyo, 1986), p. 145.

For a similar example see, Edward F. Strange, Catalogue of Japanese Lacquer [in the Victoria and Albert Museum] (London, 1925), pl. XXIII, no. 1453.