Sword Guard (Tsuba) Depicting Legendary Chinese Horse Doctor Mâshi Húang (馬師皇図鐔)

This tsuba is of a trapezoidal shape with rounded corners (aorigata). It shows on the obverse (omote) Mâshi Húang and a horse in high relief (takabori). The horse is of silver whereas Húang’s Chinese robe has different patterns inlaid in gold. The top left part shows a golden dragon within clouds. The reverse (ura) leaves much empty space, depicting only a waterfall and young pines (two highlighted in gold, two in shakudō).

Mâshi Húang (Japanese Bashi Kō) was a legendary equine veterinarian during the Yellow Emperor’s reign (2698-2598 BC). "He knew the vital symptoms in a horse’s constitution, and on receiving his treatment the animal would immediately get well. Once a dragon flew down and approached him with drooping ears and open jaws. Huang said to himself: ‘This dragon is ill and knows that I can effect a cure.’ Thereupon he performed acupuncture on its mouth just below the upper lip, and gave it a decoction of sweet herbs to swallow, which caused it to recover. Afterwards, whenever the dragon was ailing, it issued from its watery lair and presented itself for treatment. One morning the dragon took Huang on its back and bore him away." (Giles, Lionel. (1948).　A Gallery of Chinese Immortals. London: John Murray. 1979 reprint. New York: AMS Press)