Sword Guard (Tsuba)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Sword Guard (Tsuba) by artist. Black metal sword guard with rounded rectangular shape and curved corners. The guard features three openings: a central elongated oval and two smaller oval openings on either side. The surface is adorned with a pattern of gold-colored lines forming starburst-like shapes. The starburst shapes are interspersed with three circular designs. The top right circular design features a six-petaled flower within a circle. The bottom left circular design features a four-petaled flower within a circle. The background of the guard is a dark, textured metal. The overall design is symmetrical. The guard is set against a dark gray background that gradually lightens towards the bottom.