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| Keywords: Japanese - Tsuba with Snake, Toad, and Slug - Walters 51372 - Back.jpg The body of this tsuba is sculpted to resemble a piece of weathered wood The openings for the utility knife and the hair pick look like natural holes in the wood At the upper left a snake emerges from the utility knife hole A frog sits and the lower right surrounded by gourds On the reverse is a slug The snake's tail is also visible coming through a hole as if from the front This is likely a reference to the story of Jiraiya which was a popular narrative of many installments published in the mid 19th century Jiraiya had been educated in frog magic Snake magic can overcome frog magic but snail magic can overcome snake magic Jiraiya married a woman who had snail magic represented by the slug on the reverse There is a related idiom that is the equivalent of the English phrase like a deer caught in headlights The Japanese phrase is like a frog being watched by a snake which implies that the frog can not get away date nigurome details of gold and copper cm 7 4 accession number 51 372 11239 Henry Walters Baltimore date and mode of acquisition unknown Walters Art Museum Henry Walters Acquired by Henry Walters none place of origin Japan Walters Art Museum license Tsuba in the Walters Art Museum Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review | ||||
