Tsuba with Hotei

Description Hotei is one of the seven gods of good fortune, with his origins in both Taoist and Buddhist beliefs. Here, he is shown opening his bag of treasures on the right side of the tsuba. In his raised right hand is a Chinese style fan. Along the bottom of the tsuba are precious jewels, often depicted with Buddhist deities. Hotei carries treasures such as these in his bag. Along the upper portion is the branch of a pine tree. On the reverse, a pine tree is along the left side with bamboo at its foot.

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

Inscriptions [Date] 宝暦十庚辰歳五月吉日; [Transliteration] Horeki ju ka-no-e tatsu sai shogatsu kichinichi; [Translation] Tenth year of Horeki (1760), the year of the dragon, first day of the first month; [Signature] 行年六十五　政隨; [Transliteration] Konen rokuju go/Shôzui; [Translation] Age 65/Shôzui

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters