唐草図鐔 Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>)

鷲田光中作 Washida Mitsunaka

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The tsuba features a predominantly silver and black design. The body of the tsuba has a rounded square shape with curved corners. A pattern of curved leaves with pointed tips, likely representing grasses or similar foliage, covers the entire surface except for the central area. The leaves are depicted in silver against a black background. The central area is shaped like an elongated oval with rounded ends and a narrower middle section. It features two oval-shaped cutouts, one on each side. A vertical line of gold kanji characters runs down the center of this area. Two small orange-brown metal pieces are positioned at the top and bottom of the central section. The tsuba has a light gray background.