Raijin, the Thunder God, rampaging in the heavens with his wheel of drums. The reverse with Fujin, the Wind God, who struggles to light a fire to cook a cauldron of beans.
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1847
On one side of the tsuba Raijin, the Thunder God, is depicted as he rampages in the heavens with his wheel of drums. The reverse depicts his companion Fujin, the Wind God, who struggles to light a fire to cook a cauldron of beans.
The tsuba is a practical device placed between the hilt and the blade giving protection to the hand as well as providing a medium for the Japanese metalworker to demonstrate his skills. Following the abolition of the samurai class in 1876, many Japanese artisans lost their traditional patrons and had to find new markets for their skills. Lightning from the storm raised by Raijin on the other side of the tsuba is hitting the firewood at a crucial moment.
The understated humour here is the link between the Wind God and the beans he is trying to cook - perhaps comparing the power of his wind with the flatulent results of eating beans...
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Dimensions
- Height 8.6 cm; Width 7.7 cm
- Materials and techniques
- Patinated copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), hammered ground with applied and inlaid details in gold, copper and copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>)
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O74883
- Museum object number
- 1435-1888
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.