Sword Guard (Tsuba)

Cleveland Museum of Art

The sword guard, or tsuba, is a circular object made of dark metal with a textured surface. The circular object features a central oval-shaped hole with rounded ends and straight sides. The circle comprises four main parts. The central section features the oval hole flanked by two rounded rectangular shapes on either side. The circle is divided into four equal sections by two perpendicular lines that intersect in the center. The top and bottom parts feature a floral design with four curved pointed shapes on each side resembling a four-leaf clover. The background transitions from dark gray at the top to light gray at the bottom.