Tsuka with Catfish Menuki

19th century (?) L: 12.6 cm (12.6 cm) Citation Source image

This hilt is wrapped with baleen. On either side are menuki depicting a catfish and a gourd. The catfish are a reference to a Zen riddle questioning how one can capture a catfish with a gourd. The kashira at the end repeats same stylized gold waves used on the tsuba. This is p...

Artifact

id
id
79150
contentType
contentType
object
stage
stage
normalized
provenance
provenance
William T. / Henry Walters Collection, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
rightsUri
rightsUri
CC0
language
language
en
pageCount
pageCount
2
source
source
import
Source image fields (5)
thumbnailUrl https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.1145.3b_Back_DD_JP09.jpg
largeImageUrl https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.1145.3b_Back_DD_JP09.jpg
iiifBase https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.1145.3b_Back_DD_JP09.jpg
imageCount 2
sourceUrl https://purl.thewalters.org/art/51.1145.3B