Sword Guard (Tsuba)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Round metal object with a dark brown color. The object has a central oval shape with a pointed cutout on the left and an oval cutout on the right. Radiating from the central shape are numerous thin, straight lines that extend to the edge of the object, resembling the spokes of a wheel. The lines are closely spaced and have a textured appearance. The object has a thick edge with a rope-like pattern. The background is dark gray, fading to lighter gray at the bottom. The object is a Sword Guard, also known as Tsuba, by an unknown artist.