Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Tsuba with the Seven Gods of Fortune
(Japanese Military Armor)
The Seven Gods of Good Fortune ("Shichifukujin") are a Japanese folk tradition that emerged from Buddhist, Taoist, and Shinto beliefs. On the front, Daikoku, the god of wealth, appears that the upper right with bales of rice. Next to him is Jurôjin, the god of wisdom (or longevity). At the bottom is Bishamon, who is the god of warriors. On the left is Ebisu, the god of fishing (or daily food). On the reverse, the remaining three gods are shown on the left side. At the bottom is Fukurokuju, the god of longevity. In the middle is Benzaiten, the only female and the goddess of music. At the top is Hotei, the god of happiness and good health. Hotei's bag of treasures appears on the right. These gods also appear individually and in other groupings. Their spheres of influence are not fixed, and they sometimes appear with other traits.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Japan, Hagi (Place of Origin)
Measurements
3 7/16 x 3 3/8 x 3/16 in. (8.8 x 8.5 x 0.45 cm)
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.
51.338