Chinese
Nine Tripod Cauldrons
九鼎
The legitimacy to rule all under heaven. They rest with dynasties of virtue.
VesselFirst recorded c. 400 BCE
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Photograph: A Japanese iron sword guard (tsuba) of the Edo period. Pierced monkeys link around the central sword opening, holding hands in a ring.
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3,000 × 3,000 PX3000×3000
ArchiveChinese · Treasure
Golden Headband
緊箍兒
When a spell is recited it tightens around the head and subdues Sun Wukong.
- Owner
- Sun Wukong (controlled by Tripitaka)
- Maker
- Given to Tripitaka by Guanyin
- First record
- Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West1592
- Gallery
- Chinese
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
Soon after being freed from under the Five Elements Mountain and becoming Tripitaka's disciple, Sun Wukong killed some bandits and left his master in anger after being scolded.
Guanyin gave Tripitaka a flowered cap, a gold band and a spell called the Tightening Spell. When Sun Wukong came back and put on the cap, the band stuck fast to his head, and when Tripitaka recited the spell it squeezed as though to split his skull.
Sun Wukong tried to twist the band off with his staff, to no avail. From then on he protected his master on the whole journey west. When he became a Buddha in the West, the band vanished on its own.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Sword Guard (Tsuba) Depicting Group of Monkeys in a Peach Tree (猿猴摘桃透鐔)(Japanese, ca. 1615–1868), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
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