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Source Description
This tsuba shows Watanabe no Tsuna, a warrior who lived in the late 10th and early 11th century. One stormy night, he lay in wait at the Rashomon Gate in Kyoto for one of the last demons left in the city. In the middle of the night, he felt something tugging at his helmet. Striking out with his sword, he cut off the demon's arm. The demon ran away and Tsuna kept the arm locked in an iron box. On the tsuba, Tsuna can be seen riding his horse on the right. Above him, the demon pulls at his helmet. Storm clouds swirl above the demon. The Rashomon Gate is at the lower left, below the hole for the utility knife. The Rashomon Gate is the same gate that figures in Akira Kurosawa's famous film of that name.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
23087
label
Tsuba with the Samurai Watanabe no Tsuna Battling a Demon at Rashomon Gate
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
3
Source metadata
id
23087
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Tsuba with the Samurai Watanabe no Tsuna Battling a Demon at Rashomon Gate
description
This tsuba shows Watanabe no Tsuna, a warrior who lived in the late 10th and early 11th century. One stormy night, he lay in wait at the Rashomon Gate in Kyoto for one of the last demons left in the city. In the middle of the night, he felt something tugging at his helmet. Striking out with his sword, he cut off the demon's arm. The demon ran away and Tsuna kept the arm locked in an iron box. On the tsuba, Tsuna can be seen riding his horse on the right. Above him, the demon pulls at his helmet. Storm clouds swirl above the demon. The Rashomon Gate is at the lower left, below the hole for the utility knife. The Rashomon Gate is the same gate that figures in Akira Kurosawa's famous film of that name.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
1790-1840 (Edo)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Arms & Armor
tsubas
sword components
imageCount
3
pageCount
3
source
import
dimensionsRaw
2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm)
Source extras
cul
Japanese
style
Inoue School
inscriptions
[Transcription] 長州萩住 井上清高作; [Transliteration] choshu hagi ju/inouye kiyotaka saku; [Translation] Inscribed: Living at Hagi in Nagato province/Made by Inouye Kiyotaka.
med
shakudo, with gold and copper
creator_ids
3497
collection_ids
JMA
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
3a16c75733825435
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
db722161f6601dd8
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
5fbf456d375d7952
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no