Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Kozuka with Kadori Myôjin and the Earthquake-fish
(Japanese Military Armor)
The earthquake-fish ("namazu") is a large catfish with a body that resembles an eel. It was thought to live underneath the Japanese islands and cause earthquakes by its movements. The god Kadori Myôjin was thought to rub it with a gourd to help keep it quiet. The kozuka shows two figures with gourds attending to the earthquake-fish.
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, Kyoto (Place of Origin)
Measurements
3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm) (l.)
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.
51.736