Tsuba with Hotei with Attendants and Treasures
(Japanese Military Armor)
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.
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, Hikone (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 3 1/4 × W: 3 1/8 × D: 1/4 in. (8.3 × 8 × 0.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
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.
51.388