Kurosawa's Samurai Banner Posters and Art Prints

A rough, yet elegant banner. The pattern on the banner holds meaning too. Heihachi, the woodcutting samurai, makes it for them, and it reflects some of his whimsy and quiet mischief. The six circles on the top represent the six "proper" samurai in their company. The symbol at the bottom means "tanbo" or rice paddy. It's supposed to represent the farmers who the samurai are defending. (It's interesting that the samurai each get their own symbol, but the farmers are still lumped into one big group; some class differences are still in place). Between them stands a triangle representing Kikuchiyo: the outsider of the bunch who stands balanced between the samurai and the peasants they're protecting.