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Source Description
This tsuba may depict part of the story of Shûtendôji, who was a monstrous ogre killed by Minamoto no Yorimitsu in 947. Shûtendôji was born human, but his constant drinking and bad temper turned him into an ogre. He and his followers devastated the area around their home and took maidens as prisoners. The Emperor Murakami sent Yorimitsu (also known as Raigô) and four of his retainers to kill Shûtendôji. They were helped in this task by the spirit of Sumiyoshi, who appeared to them in the form of an old man. The old man gave Yorimitsu a golden cap to wear for protection and a magical rope to bind the ogre. This tsuba shows Yorimitsu and his men dressed as traveling priests while they look for Shûtendôji. The tsuba is a pair with 51.300.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
2398
label
Tsuba with the Story of Shûtendôji
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
4
Source metadata
id
2398
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Tsuba with the Story of Shûtendôji
description
This tsuba may depict part of the story of Shûtendôji, who was a monstrous ogre killed by Minamoto no Yorimitsu in 947. Shûtendôji was born human, but his constant drinking and bad temper turned him into an ogre. He and his followers devastated the area around their home and took maidens as prisoners. The Emperor Murakami sent Yorimitsu (also known as Raigô) and four of his retainers to kill Shûtendôji. They were helped in this task by the spirit of Sumiyoshi, who appeared to them in the form of an old man. The old man gave Yorimitsu a golden cap to wear for protection and a magical rope to bind the ogre. This tsuba shows Yorimitsu and his men dressed as traveling priests while they look for Shûtendôji. The tsuba is a pair with 51.300.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquistion unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
19th century (late Edo)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Arms & Armor
tsubas
sword components
imageCount
4
pageCount
4
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
7.5
height
7
depth
0.5
dimensionsRaw
H: 2 15/16 x W: 2 3/4 x D: 3/16 in. (7.53 x 7 x 0.45 cm)
Source extras
cul
Japanese
inscriptions
[Signature] Forged: 藻柄子 入道宗典製; [Transliteration] Sôheishi/Nyûdô Sôten sei; [Translation] Made by Sôheishi Nyûdô Sôten; [Place] 江州 彦根住; [Transliteration] Gôshû/Hikone ju; [Translation] Residing in Hikone
Gôshû province
RelatedObjects
29573
med
shibuichi, details of gold and copper
creator_ids
6565
collection_ids
JMA
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
29cd0c7b06a0ab1a
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
0256197ff2dbbdf7
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
3f5c30b399c92274
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
840c6d33f62b0987
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no