Kozuka with Kanyu at a Reading Table

Description This kozuka shows the 2nd-century Chinese general Kanyu (Ch. Guan Yu [Kuan Yu]) seated at a desk, reading. Stories of his activities during the Three Kingdoms period are told in the 14th-century novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." He is recognizable by his long black beard. The man behind him is probably his chief retainer Zhou Cang [Chow Ts'ang].

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

Inscriptions [Signature] 濱野直隨; [Translation] Hamano Naoyuki

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters