Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Tsuba with Fireflies in Bamboo
(Japanese Military Armor)
The raised rim of this tsuba is in the form of bamboo stalks. On the front, two fireflies are depicted nestled in bamboo. On the reverse is a stalk of bamboo and water. Fireflies are associated with summer and appear in many legends. The one that might be most appealing to warriors says that two species of fireflies in Uji, near Kyoto, re-fight the battles of the 12th-century Genpei wars. Catching fireflies on summer evening was an elegant past time.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Japan, Tokyo (Edo) (Place of Origin)
Measurements
2 9/16 x 2 5/16 x 1/8 in. (6.5 x 5.9 x 0.39 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.
51.231