Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Gourds on Vine

Cleveland Museum of Art

Dark brown, circular metal object with a textured surface. Two oval-shaped holes are cut out from the center, one elongated and teardrop-shaped, the other more rounded. The object features a design of a vine with gourds and leaves, crafted from a lighter-colored metal, likely brass, in a combination of gold and bronze tones. The vine and gourds are positioned on the right side, curving around the top and down, with four gourds visible. The leaves are attached to the vine, which has curled tendrils. The background is dark gray, gradating to black at the top. The object is a sword guard, or tsuba, titled "Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Gourds on Vine".