Tsuba with a Tiger and Dragon

Description On the front of the tsuba, a lion crouches near bamboo growing by a stream while a storm rages overhead. On the back, a dragon emerges from clouds in the sky. This pairing of two of the strongest animals in Japanese tradition is a symbol of the power of religious faith (the dragon) over the temporal world (the tiger).

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

Inscriptions [Signature] 大森英秀; [Translation] Omori Teruhide

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters