Ask the Scholar

Page 1 of 3
I can add historical knowledge about this page.

Page image

Page 1

Document source description

This tsuba possibly shows a scene from the kabuki play "The Subscription List," in which the loyal retainer Benkei saves his master Yoshitsune from capture by agents of Yoshitsune's older brother Yoritomo. Yoshitsune is traveling north from Kyoto with Benkei and four other soldiers dressed as traveling priests. They hope to pass a barrier gate by convincing the guards that they are collecting money for Tôji temple in Nara and that Yoshitsune is their porter. The guards are suspicious of Yoshitsune, so Benkei must beat his master in order to convince the guards that Yoshitsune is actually a lowly servant. This episode is an example of Benkei's great loyalty to his master because he was able to counter his own reluctance to hurt Yoshitsune in order to save him. The tsuba shows Benkei and the other soldiers at the gate. Yoshitsune does not appear on the tsuba.

Page data

Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
6956413bea5ed8ae
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
9614
Core
obj
Type
object
DTO data
{
    "id": "9614",
    "sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/51.102",
    "contentType": "object",
    "stage": "normalized",
    "title": "Tsuba with Benkei at the Barrier Gate, from the Play \"\"The Subscription List\"\"",
    "description": "This tsuba possibly shows a scene from the kabuki play \"The Subscription List,\" in which the loyal retainer Benkei saves his master Yoshitsune from capture by agents of Yoshitsune's older brother Yoritomo. Yoshitsune is traveling north from Kyoto with Benkei and four other soldiers dressed as traveling priests. They hope to pass a barrier gate by convincing the guards that they are collecting money for Tôji temple in Nara and that Yoshitsune is their porter. The guards are suspicious of Yoshitsune, so Benkei must beat his master in order to convince the guards that Yoshitsune is actually a lowly servant. This episode is an example of Benkei's great loyalty to his master because he was able to counter his own reluctance to hurt Yoshitsune in order to save him. The tsuba shows Benkei and the other soldiers at the gate. Yoshitsune does not appear on the tsuba.",
    "provenance": "Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
    "date": "ca.1825 (late Edo)",
    "citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/51.102",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Arms & Armor",
        "tsubas",
        "sword components"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.102_Back_DD_JP08.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.102_Back_DD_JP08.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.102_Back_DD_JP08.jpg",
    "imageCount": 3,
    "pageCount": 3,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensions": [
        {
            "units": "cm",
            "width": 8.2,
            "height": 7.6,
            "depth": 0.4
        }
    ],
    "dimensionsRaw": "3 1/4 x 3 x 3/16 in. (8.2 x 7.6 x 0.42 cm)"
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "9614",
    "label": "Tsuba with Benkei at the Barrier Gate, from the Play \"\"The Subscription List\"\"",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "object",
    "citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/51.102"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "9614",
    "sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/51.102",
    "contentType": "object",
    "stage": "normalized",
    "title": "Tsuba with Benkei at the Barrier Gate, from the Play \"\"The Subscription List\"\"",
    "description": "This tsuba possibly shows a scene from the kabuki play \"The Subscription List,\" in which the loyal retainer Benkei saves his master Yoshitsune from capture by agents of Yoshitsune's older brother Yoritomo. Yoshitsune is traveling north from Kyoto with Benkei and four other soldiers dressed as traveling priests. They hope to pass a barrier gate by convincing the guards that they are collecting money for Tôji temple in Nara and that Yoshitsune is their porter. The guards are suspicious of Yoshitsune, so Benkei must beat his master in order to convince the guards that Yoshitsune is actually a lowly servant. This episode is an example of Benkei's great loyalty to his master because he was able to counter his own reluctance to hurt Yoshitsune in order to save him. The tsuba shows Benkei and the other soldiers at the gate. Yoshitsune does not appear on the tsuba.",
    "provenance": "Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
    "date": "ca.1825 (late Edo)",
    "citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/51.102",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Arms & Armor",
        "tsubas",
        "sword components"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.102_Back_DD_JP08.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.102_Back_DD_JP08.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS3_51.102_Back_DD_JP08.jpg",
    "imageCount": 3,
    "pageCount": 3,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensions": [
        {
            "units": "cm",
            "width": 8.2,
            "height": 7.6,
            "depth": 0.4
        }
    ],
    "dimensionsRaw": "3 1/4 x 3 x 3/16 in. (8.2 x 7.6 x 0.42 cm)"
}
Document source extras
{
    "cul": "Japanese",
    "style": "Mito School",
    "inscriptions": "[Signature] 清真軒元重; [Translation] Seishinken Motoshige",
    "med": "copper, silver, gold",
    "creator_ids": [
        "1908"
    ],
    "collection_ids": [
        "JMA"
    ],
    "exhibition_ids": []
}
Page context
{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/raw/PS3_51.102_Fnt_DD_JP08.jpg",
    "mediaId": "6956413bea5ed8ae"
}