| This work is an Oni Shōki–design tsuba depicting Shōki glaring fiercely at a demon perched on a pine branch.The Oni Shōki motif portrays Shōki, a legendary demon queller believed to ward off evil spirits, epidemics, and misfortune. Carrying a sword, he confronts the demon with an expression of righteous anger, subduing it through sheer authority. Beyond physical strength, Shōki represents moral virtue, justice, authority, and leadership. For the samurai, this image also served as a spiritual ideal, symbolizing self-discipline and a warning against inner corruption.The artist Yoshiyuki (義随) was of the Hiyama family. Born in Mito, he first studied under Tamagawa Yoshihisa (玉川美久) and later became a disciple of Hamano Noriyuki (濱野矩随). He used the art name Taryūsai (田龍斎) and resided in Fukagawa, Edo.This piece is an outstanding example of an Oni Shōki design by Taryūsai Yoshiyuki and was awarded Hozon Tōsōgu certification in 2013. |
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