Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Kozuka with Daikoku's Hammer
(Japanese Military Armor)
The hammer in the middle of this kozuka belongs to Daikoku, one of the seven gods of good fortune. Rats are also associated with Daikoku. This design has one rat on either side of the hammer. The small, round objects at the lower right are sacred jewels. Most of Daikoku's attributes are derived from Shinto sources, but the sacred jewels come from Buddhism. Like the other gods of good fortune, Daikoku is a folk god. Practices connected to him incorporate teachings from multiple religious traditions. The back of the kozuka is decorated with incised lines that resemble cat scratches ("neko-gake"). The kozuka is signed on the lower edge.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acqusition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Japan (Place of Origin)
Measurements
3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm) (l.)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
51.633