Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Birds in Cherry

Cleveland Museum of Art

Dark brown metal object with oval shape and rounded rectangular hole in center, surrounded by circular border with intricate design of birds, flowers, and leaves. The object is round with a large oval-shaped hole in the center and two smaller oval-shaped holes on either side. The border is decorated with a repeating pattern of birds, flowers, and leaves. The birds are depicted in various poses, including flying and perched on branches. The flowers have five petals and are scattered throughout the design. The leaves are teardrop-shaped and attached to curved branches. The background of the image is a gradient of dark gray to black.