Tsuba with Shôki the Demon Queller

Description The demon queller Shôki appears with his sword drawn on the right side of the tsuba. Part of Shôki's body wraps around the edge and appears on the reverse. He is recognizable through his long beard and his hat. At the lower left is a demon or "oni" in a vulnerable crouched position. The legend of Shôki originated in China. Shôki was an aspiring scholar in China who committed suicide when he failed the examinations to become a government official. The emperor, when he realized the degree of Shôki's commitment to service, awarded him the title of doctor. Shôki then appeared to the emperor in a dream where he vowed to protect the empire from demons to show his gratitude. The graphic border of the tsuba is in a Chinese style.

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

Inscriptions [Signature] 盛泉堂樫野直信; [Translation] Seisendo Kashino Naonobu (kao).

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters