Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Snail and Gourd

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image displays a dark brown sword guard, rounded square in shape with a central oval cutout. The cutout tapers to a point at the bottom and has reddish-brown spots on either side near the bottom edge. The guard features two raised oval shapes on either side of the cutout. The left oval shape resembles a snail shell with a curving tail on the left. The right oval is more textured with bumps on the surface. The guard exhibits visible wear and scratches on its surface. The background transitions from black at the top to gray at the bottom. The guard is titled "Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Snail and Gourd" and attributed to an artist.