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Source Description
This tsuba depicts two Taoist immortals who both had the ability to send their spirits out of their bodies. On the front is Tekkai (Ch. Teiguai [T'ieh Kwai]). He left his body for seven days to consult with Laozi [Lao-tzu] and when he returned could not reenter his old body. He had to take the body of an old beggar by the roadside who had recently died. On the right side of this tsuba he is shown in the beggar's body and holding a cane. His spirit, which he is sending out, can be seen riding on his breath above the utility knife hole on the left. On the reverse, the Taoist immortal Gama (Ch. Hia Mo) stands on the left with a three legged frog on his head. Like Tekkai, Gama's spirit once returned to his body and was unable to enter it. He put his spirit into the nearest creature, which was a frog.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
25617
label
Tsuba with the Taoist Immortals Tekkai and Gama
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
3
Source metadata
id
25617
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Tsuba with the Taoist Immortals Tekkai and Gama
description
This tsuba depicts two Taoist immortals who both had the ability to send their spirits out of their bodies. On the front is Tekkai (Ch. Teiguai [T'ieh Kwai]). He left his body for seven days to consult with Laozi [Lao-tzu] and when he returned could not reenter his old body. He had to take the body of an old beggar by the roadside who had recently died. On the right side of this tsuba he is shown in the beggar's body and holding a cane. His spirit, which he is sending out, can be seen riding on his breath above the utility knife hole on the left. On the reverse, the Taoist immortal Gama (Ch. Hia Mo) stands on the left with a three legged frog on his head. Like Tekkai, Gama's spirit once returned to his body and was unable to enter it. He put his spirit into the nearest creature, which was a frog.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
1850-1923 (Meiji)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Arms & Armor
tsubas
sword components
imageCount
3
pageCount
3
source
import
dimensionsRaw
3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm)
Source extras
cul
Japanese
inscriptions
[Signature] 真柳斎 光長; [Translation] Shinryûsai/Mitsunaga
med
silver alloy, shakudo, silver-gold alloy, shibuichi, copper, and gold
creator_ids
5238
collection_ids
JMA
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
040d59b83e2ea137
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
80f4925272033ef8
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
6d3fb7d18231db05
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no