Tsuba with Hotei with Attendants and Treasures

Description Standing at the right of this tsuba is Hotei, the god of happiness and one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. Two attendants are on the left. Hotei is usually shown with a bag of treasures. The bag is at the bottom of the tsuba and arranged around the top and bottom of the tsuba are some of the treasures from Hotei's bag. On the bag are the rain coat that protects against evil spirits and the key to the gods' storehouse. At the top are the hammer carried by Daikoku, another god of good fortune, a hat that makes the wearer invisible, and a fan in Hotei's hand.

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

Inscriptions [Signature] 江州彦根住　筒井吉房; [Transliteration] Gôshû Hikone jû/Tsutsui Yoshifusa; [Translation] Residing in Hikone, Gôshû/Tsutsui Yoshifusa

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters