Tsuba with Marishiten

Description Standing on a charging bull at the right side of this tsuba is the Buddhist deity Marishiten. She is known as the Queen of Heaven, despite her masculine appearance. She has three faces. Her six arms (normally eight) carry a sword, a bow and arrow, and a spear. She is believed to reside in the stars of Ursa Major. The inscription on the front says that it was presented by the Suwa clan by orders of the ruler. The Suwa clan controlled the area that is now Nagano prefecture. The reverse has two Suwa oak leaf crests.

Provenance Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Inscriptions [Dedication] Suwa uji tatematsuru kunmei; [Date] Kansei go mizu-no-to ushi toshi yôfuku ; [Signature] kin ji sen Iwamoto Konkan; [Translation] Presented to the Suwa clan, by orders of the ruler / Fifth year of Kansei (1793), the year of the ox, November / Respectfully engraved by Iwamoto Konkan (kao)

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters