Illustrated Account of the Mongol Invasions, Volume 2 Sections 9 through 12
Suenaga’s men leave Ikinomatsubara for Mikuriya to meet the invading Mongol fleet. The warriors sit in front, identifiable by their armor, while boatmen row in the back. Notice the variety of facial expressions within this small group. Stylized clouds of mist are a common pictorial device in illustrated handscrolls and are used to add depth to the scene. Suenaga has already sailed ahead, impatient to reach the Mongol forces. His absence from the scene suggests the part of the illustration where he appears has been lost. The missing portion may not have been lost to damage, however, as particularly striking sections of handscrolls were occasionally cut out and reframed on hanging scrolls as independent works of art.