Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Tsuba with Shôki the Demon Queller
(Japanese Military Armor)
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.
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 acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Japan, Kashiwazaki
(Place of Origin)
Japan, Ise (Place of Origin)
Measurements
2 11/16 in. (6.9 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.
51.292