Harumitsu Tiger And Leopard Tsuba

[Vermithrax16]

Hoping to have another chance at this tsuba one day. I was unable to secure it during a recent auction and it's still on my mind.

 

From Hozon paper (thanks Markus Sesko):

tora no ko-watashi no zu tsuba (⻁児渡図鐔) ‒ Tsuba with the motif of a tiger crossing a river

with its cub

Signed: Furukawa Harumitsu (古川治光)

 

While researching this piece, I found an art panel painting done by Maruyama Okyo that shed some more light on the motif:

"Inspired by an ancient Chinese legend: if a mother tiger gives birth to three cubs, it was believed that one is always a leopard (hyo). She has to be careful when crossing a river not to leave the ferocious hyo alone with the other cubs."

https://www.artfund.org/supporting-museums/art-weve-helped-buy/artwork/9794/tigers-crossing-a-river

 

So if the lucky buyer is here on NMB and ever considers selling this one, I would like to connect.

 

[Tanto54]

Hi Jeremiah,

 

I bid on that too but didn't win.  You may know, but there is more to that story.  It's actually a riddle or "brain teaser".  How can the Mother get the cubs across the river if she can only carry one at a time, and she can't leave the "leopard" cub alone with either of the other cubs (for fear that it will kill the other cub)?

 

Answer: take the "leopard" cub across the river first and come back for another cub.  Take that cub across and leave it but bring the "leopard" cub back across the river to the starting point.  Drop the "leopard" cub and bring the other cub across the river.  Swim back and pick up the "leopard" cub and bring it across the river to join the other two.  Lot's of swimming, but the Mother never leaves the "leopard" cub alone with either of the two other cubs.

[Vermithrax16]

Hi Jeremiah,

 

I bid on that too but didn't win.  You may know, but there is more to that story.  It's actually a riddle or "brain teaser".  How can the Mother get the cubs across the river if she can only carry one at a time, and she can't leave the "leopard" cub alone with either of the other cubs (for fear that it will kill the other cub)?

 

Answer: take the "leopard" cub across the river first and come back for another cub.  Take that cub across and leave it but bring the "leopard" cub back across the river to the starting point.  Drop the "leopard" cub and bring the other cub across the river.  Swim back and pick up the "leopard" cub and bring it across the river to join the other two.  Lot's of swimming, but the Mother never leaves the "leopard" cub alone with either of the two other cubs.

Excellent George! Thanks for the additional info.

 

I could not stay up to watch the auction (work) plus had a feeling I had no idea where auction would end. My final bid was about $300 from sale price, would have went higher if I had a feel where the final price would have been.

[Vermithrax16]

Well if anyone wants to see this one, and you are in Berlin, you can at the Berlin Samurai Arts Museum:

https://www.websta.one/media/Bo1iFjZBdS5