Tsuba with Daruma
(Japanese Military Armor)
The figure at the lower left of this tsuba is Daruma, the Chinese monk who founded Zen Buddhism by mediating in a cave. In his hand he holds a fly whisk executed in silver. The five characters on the left side of the tsuba are a quote from the Flower Ornament Sutra: "Everything you experience is a reflection of what is in your heart." On the back is a ruyi scepter often carried by Buddhist monks. The rough nature of the tsuba's background is an appropriate pairing with a depiction of Daruma because he advocated a life of simplicity.
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 (Place of Origin)
Measurements
2 11/16 x 2 9/16 x 3/16 in. (6.8 x 6.5 x 0.5 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.
51.213