Featured Satsuma, lantern or magic!?

I can’t get over how nice this satsuma plate is. I’ve had a little bit of good satsuma including one of my favorite things but the work on this one is impeccable. It really doesn’t come through in this low resolution, poorly lit photo but it is awesome in person. My question though is what do you think is happening? The way the artist was able to capture illumination is so cool. Is the fella shining a lantern or is he doing some magic? Also what do you suppose that fella (a beggar?) is doing to the samurai’s pike/lance/spear or whatever they called them in Japan? Surely since the samurai is holding it in one hand he would feel it being jostled if the fella were doing much to it. I wonder what he’s got up his sleeve?

 

is the beggar trying to steal his wallet ?

 

It does look well done.

 

Samurai...wallet?? Gimme a break, komo!

 

How large...an' what's the back look like?

 

ya....wallet...

 

luv the expressive faces.......

 

Could the figure on the ground be a crippled weaver of mats? Sheaf of straw behind, mat under him & what could be a walking stick/crutch (I know it looks flimsy) in his hand? Barefoot dude looks like a samurai Jesus trying to heal him.

 

very nice indeed

the expressions and body positions do seem to suggest caught in the act of stealing

love the texture on the standing samurai's outer jacket, would it be a type of fur ?

certainly looks like it, but dont know if that was commonplace

 

When I saw the image, I thought those two lines were cracks in the plate

 

Probably a scene from a popular story or play.
The seated person does seem to be a beggar, albeit very nicely dressed. Maybe he is pulling at the spear to get the samurai's attention?

 

That could be!

 

I can't figure the story out, but that's some painting on the faces and the illumination from the lamp is cool. Never seen anything like it.

 

It’s pretty small unfortunately. Probably 6-7” diameter. Back is not marked/signed, again unfortunately. I mean that’s pretty common for old satsuma but a big $ mark is always better.

 

Samurai Jesus has to be the name of an anime or band. Lol. He could be a weaver! I thought it was an extension of the samurai’s pike but could be the beggars stick.

 

i never noticed that before, so trying to get his attention makes the most sense