Mike Kelley’s Feudal War from 1987 portrays the Japanese folkloric Kappa (river-child), a mischievous water deity traditionally depicted as a child-sized humanoid in legends. The Kappa character lies between the "crossfire" of intensely profane slangs between Toyama and Tokyo, two feuding Japanese cities. At the time the present lot was created, Kelley had completed a series of work which dealt with themes from Japanese culture and history, including the 1986 film Kappa which he collaborated with Bruce Nauman and Norman Yonemoto.  The work’s imagery derives from legendary Kappa portrayals seen throughout Japan. As troublemakers, their pranks range from the relatively innocent to the more menacing kidnapping of children, feeding on the blood of their victims. Even today, signs warning children against the presence of Kappa are seen in some Japanese towns and villages.