Sword Guard

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image shows a circular, dark brown object with a weathered appearance. The object is likely made of metal and has a sword guard design, from the artist unknown. The object features three elongated oval-shaped cutouts in a row. The cutouts are symmetrical. Below the cutouts, there are various engravings on the surface of the object. On the left side, there is a vertical line of Japanese characters. To the right of the characters, there are two crossed objects that resemble swords or daggers. On the right side of the object, there is an engraving of a tree-like structure with branches and a figure standing underneath it. The background of the image is a gradient that transitions from dark gray at the top to light gray at the bottom.