This thesis examines artistic depictions of the Sengoku period (1467–1615), with a particular focus on the depiction of samurai and key historical battles, such as the Battle of Sekigahara, on Japanese folding screens called byōbu. The central object of the analysis is the artwork Sekigahara kassen zu byōbu, which visually interprets the victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate, a turning point in Japanese history. Through iconological and visual analysis, the thesis explores how these artworks served not only as aesthetic expression, but also as tools of political propaganda, legitimization of power, and the formation of collective historical memory. Artworks such as Sekigahara kassen zu byōbu often deviate from historical accuracy and emphasize symbolic elements, idealized images of samurai, and dramatized scenes, thereby consolidating the image of Tokugawa Ieyasu as a legitimate and divine ruler. The use of perspective from above, contrasting colors, heraldic symbols, and the inclusion of recognizable buildings such as castles and historical figures reveal how art contributed to the consolidation of a new socio-political order. The thesis emphasizes that Edo period screens were not just decorative objects, but an important tool of visual culture that shaped political consciousness and contributed to the establishment of a new authority in early modern Japan.
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