Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Camellia (Tsubaki)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Dark brown metal object with a circular shape and three oval-shaped holes in the center. The object has a textured surface with a floral pattern featuring camellia flowers and leaves. The camellia flowers have five petals and are depicted in various stages of bloom. The leaves are teardrop-shaped with a pointed tip. The object appears to be made of metal, possibly iron or steel, with a dark brown patina. The background is black, with a white border on the right side. The object is likely a sword guard, also known as a tsuba, which is a Japanese metal plate used to protect the hand while wielding a sword. The camellia flowers are likely camellia japonica, also known as tsubaki in Japanese.